Choreographer, stock market trader held for drug peddling in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Dec 2
Cyberabad Police have arrested a choreographer, a stock market trader and an architect for MDMA consumption and peddling.

The Special Operations Team (SOT), Cyberabad and Gachibowli Police arrested four persons, including choreographer Kanha Mohanty, during a raid on a hotel room.

Though the arrests were made on Saturday (November 30), this was revealed by police only on Monday.

The raid was conducted at Room No. 303, Kanha Boutique Hotel. The accused number one in the case is Gulipalli Gangadhar (28), a stock market trader from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Gangadhar was identified as an MDMA peddler and consumer.

Kanha Mohanty (24), is a private employee residing in Hyderabad, originally from Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Mohanty was both a consumer and peddler of the drugs. Mohanty worked as a choreographer in a popular Telugu television show ‘Dhee’.

The police also arrested Kondam Priyanka Reddy. The 28-year-old is an architect from Hyderabad. She has been identified as a consumer. Ogirala Shaki (22), a job-seeker from Hyderabad, was the fourth person to be arrested and he too was identified as a consumer.

The police seized 18 grams of MDMA, one gram of OG Kush, seven grams of Indian Charas and six mobile phones.

According to police, Gangadhar and Kanha Mohanty allegedly procured MDMA and other drugs from an unidentified supplier in Bengaluru at a low cost and sold them to consumers in Hyderabad. During the operation, Priyanka Reddy and Shaki were caught attempting to purchase drugs from the duo. The arrested individuals disclosed that the drugs, including MDMA, ganja, and Indian charas, were sourced from Bengaluru.

The accused have been charged under Sections 8(C), 22(C), 27, and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Act. Further investigation is ongoing to identify the supplier and additional links in the drug network, police said.

Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau and police have intensified anti-drug drive, especially in Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda commissionerates. They are not only focussing on peddlers but also acting against the consumers.