Cocaine case: Actor Srikanth remanded in Puzhal jail

CHENNAI: Tamil actor Srikanth was remanded in judicial custody on Tuesday until July 7 for alleged drug abuse and links with drug peddlers. The actor was booked under three sections of the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, after he was subjected to medical tests.

Police said that it was their investigation and arrests into a pub brawl in Nungambakkam a month ago which has unravelled a criminal network with tentacles in the drug trade, job racket, land grab, and other criminal activities.

Police said that expelled AIADMK IT functionary, T Prasad. who was the main accused in the pub brawl case. had supplied the actor with cocaine. According to sources, Prasad had also ventured into film production with the actor in a lead role and had allegedly compensated the actor with the drug in place of salary dues.

Prasad was also identified as the middleman who procured cocaine from peddlers Pradeep (38) and Ghanaian John, who were arrested last week and 11 grams of cocaine was seized from them, and sold it to his contacts, like Srikanth, in Chennai.

Apart from supplying cocaine, the AIADMK functionary is already booked by the Chennai police for orchestrating a job racket in which he had collected several lakhs from at least 200 persons, promising them jobs in government departments like TNPSC, Greater Chennai Corporation, Railways, Water Board and Income Tax. An armed reserve constable from Madurai who assisted Prasad in the job racket and another AIADMK functionary Ajai Vandiar was also arrested by the police.