The CCB issued these summons after filmmaker Indrajit Lankesh submitted a list of Sandalwood celebrities to the sleuths, claiming that they are avid users of synthetic drugs, Deccan Herald reported. The CCB suspects that the duo had attended several parties together and are suspected of having consumed drugs. 

According to the DH report, Indrajit Lankesh has been summoned for the second time for questioning on Thursday. The CCB had asked him to furnish proof of his allegations of drug abuse in Sandalwood.

The CCB has meanwhile begun conducting surprise checks on vehicles. On Wednesday, vehicles at the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation bus terminal in Majestic were checked. This was after the CCB suspected an inter-state drug racket, TNIE reported. Both state-run and private vehicles were searched at various checkpoints in the city too. 

According to Sandeep Patil, the drug peddlers who were arrested allegedly confessed that the product was brought into the city via buses and trains late into the night to avoid detection.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) has said that it will take action against actors and technicians consuming or selling drugs. The KFCC's members met on Wednesday and its President DR Jayaraj said that the body would report those consuming drugs to the police. “If any actor or any member of the film industry is proven guilty of having consumed drugs or sold them, the chamber will initiate action against them," Jayaraj added. 

Jayaraj also maintained that it was wrong to blame the entire industry of drug abuse due to the activities of a few.

The drug abuse case

The current drug bust started on August 20 when the Narcotics Control Bureau conducted raids in Navi Mumbai and seized over 3000 MDMA pills. Following this, the NCB arrested a couple- HA Choudhary and R Batharey. The NCB then raided the residences of three drug peddlers in Bengaluru. 

On August 21, the NCB conducted raids at Nikoo Homes, an upscale gated community in Bengaluru and seized 96 pills of MDMA, weighing 40 gm, and 180 LSD blots. A drug peddler named Ravindra was arrested here. The second raid was conducted at Royal Suites Hotel service apartment in Kalyan Nagar, 145 MDMA pills weighing 60 gm were seized along with Rs 2,20, 500 cash. The sleuths arrested a man named Anoop Mohammed, who was allegedly in possession of these drugs. Anoop Mohammed meanwhile is a friend of Bineesh Kodiyeri, son of CPI(M) leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. Bineesh has denied any knowledge about the drug trade.

Based on inputs from the arrested accused in these two raids, the NCB arrested Anikha D, who is the prime suspect in the case, from her home in Doddagubbi. The NCB seized 270 MDMA pills, weighing 111.6 gm, from her residence. 

Following this, the NCB had said that actors and musicians from Karnataka were under its scanner in connection with the racket that was busted. The NCB's revelation led to the state government ordering an inquiry into the drug racket operating in Karnataka. The Central Crime Branch has been charged with the probe. However, a few days ago, Kannada filmmaker Indrajit Lankesh told the media that several actors in Sandalwood consumed drugs at rave parties. On Sunday last, he was questioned by the CCB, where he is said to have submitted a list of names of actors, directors and musicians, who allegedly consume drugs. The CCB has asked Indrajit Lankesh to appear before the investigators on Thursday and has asked him to furnish proof of his allegations.

On Saturday, actor Ragini Dwivedi had lashed out against local television channel Public TV for allegedly saying that women actors consume drugs for anti-aging. On Saturday morning, the news channel, which was broadcasting a bulletin related to the recent drug bust conducted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), had called actor Ragini Dwivedi for a reaction. She had also stated that not all actors use drugs and that she stands to support the government's decision to probe the drug racket in the state.