Published 12:18 IST, September 13th 2020
After Sandalwood, drug-nexus links reach Karnataka netas over alleged JDS-Colombo trip
After Sandalwood, drug mafia connections find their way in political circles too as celebrity manager Prashanth Sambargi spoke to Republic Media Network.
Drug Mafia case of Karnataka has taken major twists and turns as the investigation progresses in the case. After Sandalwood, now drug mafia connections have found their way in to political circles too. Self-claimed activist and celebrity manager Prashanth Sambargi spoke to Republic Media Network and alleged that actor Sanjjana Galrani and Congress MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan attended the event in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
“My allegation is not that actor Sanjjana and MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan were in the same flight or same hotel. My claim is that they attended that event.”
Clarifying his visit to Colombo at then JD(S) party meeting, former JDS MLA and sitting Congress MLA Zameer Ahmed Khan claimed, "I did not say that I have never gone to Colombo or casinos. When in JD(S), I went there with HD Kumaraswamy and 26 MLAs. Barring Deve Gowda's son, HD Revanna and one more party MLA, all other party MLAs went there and went to casinos also. I go to Colombo once in a year or so, I go to Colombo and go to casinos. Is it illegal? I have not gone to Pakistan. As a matter of fact, most of the Karnataka legislators go to Colombo and go to casinos."
He continued, "To be honest, more number of BJP MLAs go to casinos than MLAs of other political parties. What that person (Sambargi) is alleging is that I am involved with drug peddlers. If anyone proves that, I am ready to be hanged and I will urge the government to hang any politician who is involved with drug mafia.”
Distancing himself from all these allegations, former CM HD Kumarswamy tweeted and clarified, “It's true that our MLAs and I went to Colombo once to discuss party strategy. It wasn't hidden. 2014 June, I had made a public statement that I had gone to Colombo. I went there with MLAs because there is no secrecy. I spoke to the media before I boarded the plane. That was the first and last time I went to Colombo. He (Zameer) had come with me and I didn't go with him.”
Kumaraswamy clarifies in a series of tweets
“MLA Zameer Khan is confusing people and diverting the issue by creating connections between political party meetings and his commercial visit to casinos. He (Zameer) is confusing people and he is not talking about specific event highlighted in the video of 40 seconds dated 08.09.2019 where Sheikh Faizulla along with Vivek Oberoi and actor Sanjjana were seen participating. The eyewitness who attended the event and regular gamblers have confirmed to us that Zameer Ahmed Khan lost Rs 6 crore while playing there,” Prashanth Sambargi added.
Updated 12:18 IST, September 13th 2020