Owen79097529716 at 20:50, 27 January 2026

2026-01-27T20:50:01Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox event
| title = Sandalwood Drug Scandal
| date = 10 August 2020 – present
| place = Bengaluru and Mumbai, India
| cause = Investigation into international MDMA drug racket
| arrests = 6 (as of 8 September 2020)
| accused = Ragini Dwivedi, Sanjjanaa Galrani, Viren Khanna, Aditya Alva, Jayaprakash, others
| involved = Reality television personalities, musicians, actors in Kannada cinema, models, children of politicians
| charges = Drug possession, drug trafficking, money laundering
| outcome = Ongoing investigation, multiple arrests, media and political ramifications
| reported_by = Narcotics Control Bureau
}}
On 10 August 2020, members of the [[Narcotics Control Bureau]] (NCB) made simultaneous drug raids in [[Mumbai]] and [[Bangalore|Bengaluru]] relating to an alleged international [[MDMA]] (ecstasy) drugs racket.<ref>{{Cite web|title=MDMA drug bust: NCB questions Bengaluru Congress corporator's son in Mumbai| url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/mdma-drug-bust-ncb-questions-bengaluru-congress-corporator-s-son-mumbai-132542|date=2020-09-08|access-date=2020-09-09|website=www.thenewsminute.com}}</ref> Based on evidence collected during the raids, the NCB made arrests of three other individuals on 21 August. Police said they had seized {{INR}}2.2 [[lakh]] cash and 145 MDMA pills. According to police, one of the accused had a diary allegedly containing the names of 15 celebrities: including reality television personalities, musicians, actors in [[Kannada cinema]] and models, who the accused claimed were regular customers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sandalwood drug racket: Diary with names of celebrities seized|url=http://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay.aspx?newsID=746637|access-date=2020-09-09|website=www.daijiworld.com}}</ref> The police claimed these accused were selling their products to affluent sections of Bangalore society. Other searches were made at properties allegedly belonging to major Kannada film stars. In light of the busts, Kannada filmmaker [[Indrajit Lankesh]] alleged 15 members of the [[Kannada cinema|Sandalwood]] were involved in the drugs racket, and accordingly gave a statement to the police.<ref>{{Cite web|title=At Least 15 In Kannada Film Industry Into Drug Trade, Claims Filmmaker|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/filmmaker-indrajit-lankesh-claims-at-least-15-in-kannada-film-industry-into-drug-trade-2288652|access-date=2020-09-10|website=NDTV.com}}</ref>

==Arrests==
As on 8 September 2020, six people were arrested in connection with the case, including two Kannada film actors: [[Ragini Dwivedi]] and [[Sanjjanaa Galrani]], and Viren Khanna, a celebrity party organizer,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-08|title=Kannada actor Sanjjanaa Galrani arrested in sandalwood drug case|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/sandalwood-drug-case-ccb-search-sanjjanaa-galrani-house-6587470/|access-date=2020-09-09|website=The Indian Express|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-08|title=Expect more surprises in drugs case|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/metrolife/metrolife-your-bond-with-bengaluru/expect-more-surprises-in-drugs-case-884557.html|access-date=2020-09-09|website=Deccan Herald|language=en}}</ref> at whose house a police uniform was allegedly found.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Swamy|first=Rohini|date=2020-09-10|title=Drugs, big-ticket parties, police uniform — cops claim watertight case in 'Sandalwood racket'|url=https://theprint.in/india/drugs-flashy-parties-police-uniform-sandalwood-scandal-is-watertight-case-police-say/499043/|access-date=2020-09-10|website=ThePrint|language=en-US}}</ref> Other children of politicians and other VIPs are also sought by the police in connection with the case,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Drugs in Sandalwood: Aditya Alva, Viren big names in Bengaluru Page 3 circuit|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2020/sep/08/drugs-in-sandalwood-aditya-alva-viren-big-names-in-bengaluru-page-3-circuit-2193883.html|access-date=2020-09-09|website=The New Indian Express|date=8 September 2020 }}</ref> including Aditya Alva, the son of former minister [[Jeevaraj Alva]] and brother-in-law of actor [[Vivek Oberoi]], who allegedly rented out his property for parties at which drugs were consumed.<ref name=":0" /> An FIR was registered against 12 people allegedly involved in the scandal, including Jayaprakash, a film producer, Dwivedi, Galrani, and Alva.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-09-05|title=FIR registered against 12 in drug probe, Ragini Dwivedi's bail plea on Monday|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bengaluru-police-register-fir-against-12-in-drug-probe-ragini-dwivedi-s-bail-plea-on-monday/story-mBERcgjlG4UxyhKbwGeEZI.html|access-date=2020-09-09|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> They were suspected of buying drugs from Loum Pepper Samba, an alleged drug peddler from [[Senegal]], Africa.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Bharadwaj|first1=K. v Aditya|last2=Gowhar|first2=Imran|date=2020-09-19|title=Kannada film industry and drugs {{!}} Cracking the world of make-believe|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/cracking-the-world-of-make-believe/article32644286.ece|access-date=2020-11-11|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> The bail pleas of Dwivedi and Galrani were rejected on 3 November. Bineesh Kodiyeri, son of a Kerala minister, had his house raided on 5 November as part of a money-laundering investigation relating to drug sales in Bangalore.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Explained: What is the Bangalore drug case? Who are the big names involved |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/explained-what-is-the-bengaluru-drug-case-who-are-the-big-names-involved/articleshow/79060837.cms|date=2020-11-05|access-date=2020-11-11|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref>

The story has gained significant media attention and has led to statements from popular actors such as [[Yash (actor)|Yash]] and [[Shiva Rajkumar]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Yash And Shivarajkumar React To Sandalwood Drug Racket|url=https://in.style.yahoo.com/yash-shivarajkumar-react-sandalwood-drug-115742917.html|access-date=2020-09-10|website=in.style.yahoo.com|language=en-IN}}</ref> The story also took a political turn, as both the ruling [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP) and opposition [[Indian National Congress]] and [[Janata Dal (Secular)]] claimed each party was involved with the scandal. The BJP, in particular, sought to distance itself from Dwivedi, who, according to the party, "voluntarily" campaigned in the [[2019 Karnataka Legislative Assembly by-elections|2019 Karnataka by-elections]] for the BJP.<ref>{{Cite web|last=madhav|first=vinay|date=2020-09-05|title=Sandalwood drug scandal takes a political turn in Karnataka|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/050920/sandalwood-drug-scandal-takes-a-political-turn-in-karnataka.html|access-date=2020-09-09|website=Deccan Chronicle|language=en}}</ref> The arrest of Kodiyeri had political ramifications in Kerala, where his father, [[Kodiyeri Balakrishnan]], is a [[Communist Party of India (Marxist)|CPI-M]] leader.<ref name=":1" />

==Aftermath==
On 25 March 2024, the drug case against actress [[Sanjjana]], realtor Shivaprakash and financial manager Adithya Mohan Agarwal was quashed by the Karnataka High Court due to procedural lapses by the police.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/karnataka-high-court-quashes-drug-case-against-actress-sanjana-galrani-and-two-others-for-procedural-lapses-by-police/article68328317.ece |title=Karnataka High Court quashes drug case against actress Sanjana Galrani and two others for procedural lapses by police |date=24 June 2024 |website=The Hindu |access-date=28 January 2026 }}</ref> Later in December 2024, the drug case against [[Ragini Dwivedi]] and co-accused Prashant Ranka was also quashed by the Karnataka High Court due to lack of evidence produced by the police.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2025/Jan/15/no-evidence-karnataka-hc-quashes-case-against-ragini-ranka-in-2020-drugs-case |title=No evidence, Karnataka HC quashes case against Ragini, Ranka in 2020 drugs case |date=15 January 2025 |website=The New Indian Express |access-date=28 January 2026 }}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:August 2020 in India]]
[[Category:Crime in Karnataka]]
[[Category:Drugs in India]]
[[Category:2020 crimes in India]]
[[Category:Controversies about films in India]]
[[Category:Political controversies in India]]
[[Category:Scandals in India]]
[[Category:Kannada cinema]]
[[Category:Narcotics Control Bureau]]
[[Category:Bengaluru]]
[[Category:Crime in Bengaluru]]

2020 Bengaluru drug raids - Revision history

Owen79097529716 at 20:50, 27 January 2026