SIT hears director Puri Jagannath script

10-hour grilling gets tons of info

​Hyderabad: The SIT seems to be tightening the noose around the popular film director Puri Jagannath over his suspected involvement in the infamous drugs case in Hyderabad. The SIT is said to have confronted Puri with about 100 questions during the 10-hour grilling that took place in the fifth floor at Abkari Bhavan in Nampally. Puri reached the venue accompanied by his son Akash and brother Sairam Sankar.

The questioning which began at 10.30 am and ended at 8.30 pm is said to have centred around the links between Puri and the prime accused Calvin Mascarenhas. The SIT will question cameraman Shyam K Naidu on Thursday. This decision assumes importance since Naidu is a close associate of Puri.

As the questioning session got intensified during the post-lunch period, the SIT officials confronted Puri with evidence of his links with Calvin. According to them, Puri knew Calvin for nearly four years. They produced some photographs and details of his bank accounts which showed that money was transferred from Puri’s account to that of Calvin.

They asked him why he took 30 to 40 gms of drugs from Calvin and to whom did he pass it on. Towards evening, there were speculations that Puri would be arrested as a surgeon from Osmania Hospital was called to the interrogation room to draw blood samples.

Even officials of the Narcotics Control Bureau were called in. Initially Puri denied that he knew Calvin, according to sources. Interrogators then showed him WhatsApp messages in which both (Calvin and Puri Jagannath) had discussed financial issues.

He was also shown photographs in which he is seen with Calvin and Jishin, another accused in the drug case. Puri, who first denied knowing who Calvin, was later confessed that he knows Calvin as event manager and maintained that he had given money to Calvin for organising audio release function of one of his movies ‘Jyothi Lakshmi’.

Puri Jagannath told the SIT that he came to know that Calvin supplies drugs only at a later stage. Asked about his frequent trips to Bangkok, he maintained that he used to go there with his film unit either for a shoot or to choose locations for films.

Despite sustained questioning, he asserted that he does not consume drugs now. He is learnt to have told the SIT that he had given up drugs six months ago. This is when the services of Osmania Hospital and Narcotics Department personnel were requisitioned.

Sources said the director initially explained for 40 minutes about how he entered the film industry about 17 years back. He told officials that pub culture is a common phenomenon in the film industry and he was also one of the pub-goers. His films too contained pub scenes. He also told them that he does not have many friends but going to pubs and attending parties was his hobby. It is also said Puri has been hosting parties at his house.

The key questions that were put to Puri, it is said, included as to the period from when he was taking drugs, the quantity he used to consume, why he goes out of Hyderabad for sometime after taking drugs, why he throws parties at home, how did he get in touch with Calvin, why did Calvin and Jishin were frequent visitors to his house, whether he used to give drugs to other film artistes if so who they were, from where he used to get drugs before he came into contact with Calvin, whether it was true that he used to supply cocaine to Charmi, Mumaith Khan, Subbaraju and Ravi Teja; and whether he was ready for a blood test.