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BENGALURU: Sleuths from the Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested Aditya Alva, one of the prime accused in the Sandalwood drug peddling racket, in Chennai on Monday night — more than four months after an FIR was registered against him and he went on the run. Alva, son of former minister Jeevaraj Alva, is the brother-in-law of Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi.
According to preliminary information, Alva was hiding in Tamil Nadu and Telangana since the case was registered against him on September 4, 2020, at Cottonpet police station. He had reportedly kept away from all communication devices to prevent police from tracking him. Recently, he reportedly contacted one of his staffers and the trail led police to his Chennai hideout.
Alva in 7-day police custody
A police team headed by inspector Puneeth Kumar received information about Alva’s whereabouts and arrested him from a homestay in south Chennai. Police brought Alva to Bengaluru on Tuesday and produced him before a court, which sent him to seven days in police custody. Actresses Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjanaa Galrani are co-accused in the case.
A police team headed by inspector Puneeth Kumar received information about Alva’s whereabouts and arrested him from a homestay in south Chennai. Police brought Alva to Bengaluru on Tuesday and produced him before a court, which sent him to seven days in police custody. Actresses Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjanaa Galrani are co-accused in the case.
Police said Alva organized high-profile parties at his House of Life farmhouse in Hebbal Kempapura and is accused of supplying drugs to other suspects in the case. Police had searched the farmhouse in September and in October, landed up at Vivek Oberoi’s Mumbai flat. Sources said Alva also visited Hyderabad and Mumbai during the time he was at large.
“Continuous searches were conducted and we got information and arrested him in Chennai,” Sandeep Patil, joint commissioner of police (crime) said.
Two still at large
The CCB had named 12 people, including Ragini and Alva, in the FIR. So far, nine of those named have been arrested and one of the main suspects — Shiva Prakash — recently appeared before the police. Two more suspects — Prashanth Raju, 39, of BTM Layout 2nd Stage, and Abhiswamy, 31, of Madanayakanahalli are still at large.
The CCB had named 12 people, including Ragini and Alva, in the FIR. So far, nine of those named have been arrested and one of the main suspects — Shiva Prakash — recently appeared before the police. Two more suspects — Prashanth Raju, 39, of BTM Layout 2nd Stage, and Abhiswamy, 31, of Madanayakanahalli are still at large.
In all, CCB officials have arrested 17 people. Sanjjanaa, who was arrested in September last year, was released on bail on health grounds last month.
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