Celebrities must be guiding figures: Dr K Sudhakar on Sandalwood drug racket

If the celebrities fall prey to vices, it will mislead people who look up to them, said Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar on the sandalwood drug racket.

During the press conference on Friday, Sudhakar said that celebrities, movie actors and actresses are ambassadors of art and culture for our people. If they fall prey to vices, it will mislead the people who look up to them."

Sudhakar also held a progress review meeting of departments in Gauribidanur taluk today.

Refraining from making personal comments about leaders, actors and actresses who are said to be part of 'Sandalwood drug racket', he said, "They must possess virtues as they are the people who guide others in the society. Drug abuse will not only send a wrong message to the society but also will damage the reputation garnered over the years."

The state government will take strict action against those involved in this case, the Minister assured and added he has spoken to Home Minister too in this regard.

It is important to put an end to drug mafia, he added.

Earlier today, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) detained Kannada actress Ragini Dwivedi for questioning, following a search operation at her residence in Bengaluru in connection with the Sandalwood drug racket.

The agency had sent her a notice to appear before it for investigation in connection with a drug case.

Lankesh had earlier claimed that some budding actors do consume banned substances.

He had raised these points, during the course of many interviews given to the media, after the death of a young Kannada actor, Chiranjeevi Sarja.

( With inputs from ANI )