Hyderabad: Special Investigation Team (SIT) sleuths suspect that the drugs allegedly consumed during a party held by ex-BRS MLA P Rohith Reddy at a farmhouse in Moinabad were procured from local peddlers and not from Shimla.This revelation stems from information revealed by some of the accused during interrogation. However, before police teams could nab the local peddlers, they reportedly escaped from the city. Tests conducted on the 11 accused who were arrested from the farmhouse on the night of March 14 revealed that six of them had consumed narcotic substances. While four of the six persons — Rohith Reddy, his brother Ritesh Reddy, and associates Namit Sharma, Koushik Ravi and Arjun Reddy — had tested positive for cocaine consumption, two other accused including TDP MP P Mahesh Kumar had tested positive for amphetamines and methamphetamine, indicating they might have consumed MDMA.While Rohith, Ritesh, and Namit Sharma are currently in judicial custody, police have let off the other accused after serving notices, asking them to appear before the investigating officer for questioning as and when summoned.The other accused persons reportedly told the police during interrogation that the cocaine was procured by Rohith Reddy’s driver Sharath, from a city-based peddler named Abhishek Singh. The MDMA was procured by Athar, who works as a driver for one of the accused, from an unidentified peddler. However, by the time the SIT sleuths could gather more details about the whereabouts of the two peddlers and conducted raids, they had already fled.“It seems like they fled from their homes shortly after news of the arrests came to light. Of the two suspects, Abhishek was booked in an NDPS case earlier,” said an investigator. Special teams have now launched a manhunt for the suspects.Three days’ police custody of accusedMeanwhile, a city court has granted three days’ police custody of the three accused, Rohith, Ritesh, and Namit, till March 26 evening. SIT officials said they would take them into custody either late on Monday evening or Tuesday morning. “The accused will be questioned on various aspects of the case, including from whom they procured drugs, why Namit opened fire at police, and how he got access to Ritesh’s licensed firearm,” said a senior official.
