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News18
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Tamil Actor Srikanth Sent To First-Class Jail, Police Say He Confessed To Drug Use On Film Set
Last Updated: Tamil actor Srikanth has been remanded to judicial custody in a drug scandal involving former AIADMK IT Wing member Prasad, following a bar brawl investigation Tamil actor Srikanth has been remanded to judicial custody and sent to a first-class prison in connection with a spiraling drug scandal that has rattled both political and film circles in Chennai. The arrest comes in the wake of an expanding investigation that began with a bar brawl and led police to a tangled web of drug trafficking involving a former AIADMK IT Wing member, illicit financial transactions, and startling confessions from within the film fraternity. The case traces back to the arrest of Prasad, a former executive of the AIADMK's IT Wing, who was taken into custody following a violent altercation at a private bar in Nungambakkam last month. Prasad's phone, seized during the arrest, offered a trove of incriminating WhatsApp messages. Upon scrutiny, police arrested Pradeep Kumar, the man believed to have supplied drugs to Prasad. It was during Pradeep's interrogation that the name of actor Srikanth surfaced, setting off a new and sensational direction in the probe. According to the police, Srikanth, who was working on the film Theengarai, which is being produced by Prasad, confessed that drugs were used during the film's production. He claimed that it was Prasad who offered him the narcotics under the pretext that they were needed for the actor's performance. The police subsequently summoned Srikanth for questioning at the Nungambakkam police station and sent his blood samples for forensic testing. When the test results came back, confirming drug use, Srikanth was formally arrested and named the third accused in the case. He was produced before the 14th Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Egmore, which remanded him to judicial custody until July 7. The court also ordered that he be kept in a first-class facility owing to his public profile and ongoing health issues reportedly concerning his child. Sources within the police department say Srikanth is believed to have purchased drugs over 40 times. Investigators have unearthed financial transactions amounting to Rs 4.72 lakh that were allegedly made by Srikanth to Pradeep through Google Pay, further strengthening the prosecution's claims of sustained involvement. Despite the serious charges, the actor reportedly told the court that he had not distributed the drugs to anyone and only used them personally. He appealed for bail, citing his child's illness and asserting that he would not abscond and would fully cooperate with the investigation. However, the magistrate declined to entertain the bail request and advised the actor to approach the special court that handles drug-related offenses. Srikanth's legal team filed a formal bail application earlier today. Meanwhile, police investigations are continuing in multiple directions. Officials have revealed that the drug supply chain may extend beyond Tamil Nadu, with links to a Nigerian national based in Bengaluru. The authorities are now probing whether more individuals from the film industry were involved. Prasad, the former AIADMK functionary at the center of the case, is also under scrutiny for several unrelated charges, including cheating and promising government jobs to unsuspecting citizens. Three separate FIRs have been registered against him in Nungambakkam and Mylapore police stations. The Chennai police have indicated that this case is part of a wider crackdown on drug consumption and trafficking within the entertainment industry. The law will take its course based on evidence and proper procedure, said a senior police officer close to the investigation. First Published: June 24, 2025, 13:17 IST
Hindustan Times
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Priya Prakash Varrier almost in tears at event, thought Vijay ‘appreciated' her for Good Bad Ugly: ‘This is too much'
Actor Priya Prakash Varrier was at an event recently when she almost fell for an AI video of Vijay 'appreciating' her performance in the recently released Good Bad Ugly. The actor even asked the show's organisers to replay the video before she was told that it was a prank. Here's how she reacted. (Also Read: Vijay and Ajith Kumar's fans beat each other up at Good Bad Ugly screening in Kerala. Here's why) In a video of Priya doing the rounds online, the host tells her they have something special in store. Then they play a video of Vijay praising her for recreating Simran's moves in Good Bad Ugly. A shocked Priya looks overwhelmed and is moved to tears, asking them to replay the video for her. 'Is this true? Please play it again,' she asks. However, the host clarifies the video is AI-generated, saying, 'Sorry, this is not real,' telling her she has every right to be mad at those whose idea it was to play the video. Taken aback by that, Priya smiles awkwardly and says, 'This is too much…it's really wrong, it's unfair. I was almost in tears.' The real video used in the morphing is from Vijay's IT Wing administrators' virtual meeting last week. According to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) IT wing's X (formerly Twitter) account, he addressed the gathering in a pre-recorded video and called them 'virtual warriors'. For the uninitiated, Priya gained fame in 2019 when a scene from her debut film Oru Adaar Love went viral. After that, she was even referred to as the 'wink girl'. Since then, she has acted in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam. She also starred in the Hindi film Yaariyan 2 in 2023. Priya was most recently seen in Adhik Ravichandran's Good Bad Ugly with Ajith Kumar, Trisha Krishnan and Arjun Das. She recreated Simran's classic song Tak Tak Pesum Sultana and received appreciation for it.
