Actor Vivek Oberoi, who had last year faced the wrath of opposition leaders and a section of media for making a biopic inspired by the life and the struggle of PM Modi, has once again come under the fire from opposition parties after the Central Crime Branch of the Bengaluru Police searched his Mumbai home looking for his brother-in-law Aditya Alva in connection with the drugs scandal involving the Kannada film industry.
Using the incident to attack actor Vivek Oberoi, a vocal supporter of the BJP, Shiv Sena senior leader and Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said that the actor must be investigated for his possible links to the drug nexus in Bollywood. He said that NCB should take over the case from the Bengaluru police and probe Vivek Oberoi in the Bollywood drug abuse case, which the department has been investigating following actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death. The Shiv Sena leader furthered that if NCB fails to probe Vivek Oberoi, then the Mumbai police will do the needful.
Along with the actor, the Maharashtra HM also named filmmaker Sandeep Ssingh who had produced PM Modi biopic that featured Vivek Oberoi. He said that the filmmaker too should be probed for his alleged role in the Bollywood drug nexus.
Bengaluru Police have come here to probe drug connection of Vivek Oberoi & filmmaker Sandip Ssingh. But NCB is not taking up the investigation. We’ll request NCB to investigate the drug connection & if they don’t, Mumbai Police will do it: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh pic.twitter.com/fXqGdub0iT
— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2020
Anil Deshmukh’s statement came after some Congress leaders met him with the demand following a raid at the actor’s residence by the Bengaluru Police on Thursday.
The Bengaluru police were looking for Vivek Oberoi’s wife Priyanka Alva’s brother Aditya who has been evading arrest after being named as in the drugs probe by the Central Crime Branch of the Bengaluru Police.
Congress ups its ante against Vivek Oberoi, Sandeep Ssingh
Congress leader Sachin Sawant had also joined the Shiv Sena minister to cast aspersions at Vivek Oberoi and producer Sandeep Ssingh. In a series of tweets, Maharashtra Congress General Secretary Sachin Sawant said that he had earlier asked the authorities to investigate the Bharatiya Janata Party’s connection in the case and had also named Alva. “But NCB didn’t pay heed,” Sawant tweeted. He also alleged that the BJP government in Gujarat favoured a company run by Oberoi and Ssingh for signing a memorandum of understanding.
I had demanded with NCB to investigate the BJP Drug connection in bollywood. In my questions to NCB I had specifically mentioned name of Aditya Alva found in Sandalwood drug racket who is brother in law of Vivek Oberoi who is partner of Sandeep Ssingh. But NCB didn’t pay heed https://t.co/lwHGTtvujc
— Sachin Sawant सचिन सावंत (@sachin_inc) October 16, 2020
Congress tries to link producer Sandeep Ssingh with BJP
It is pertinent to note here that earlier too, Congress leader Sachin Sawant had maliciously attempted to link the BJP with the alleged suicide case of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Sharing a picture of Sandeep Ssingh, one of the first ones to reach Sushant’s residence after hearing the news of his death, with former Maharashtra chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, the Congress leader had then demanded that Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and Home Minister Anil Deshmukh look into BJP’s hand in Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.
However, much to the disappointment of the Congress leader, it was soon revealed that Sandeep Ssingh has not just been photographed with Devendra Fadnavis alone. Several prominent personalities, from different political parties, have been clicked with the producer. Ssingh was seen with Smita Thackeray, the former wife of Jaidev Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray’s elder brother. Smita was supposed to produce a movie on Balasaheb Thackeray along with Sandeep Ssingh.
Similarly, Ssingh has also been seen with the Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who periodically allies with the Congress party to take on the might of the BJP.
