Mangaluru: The central crime branch (CCB) police here on Thursday arrested Tarun, a close friend of dancer-choreographer Kishore Aman Shetty, now in police custody charged with drug peddling and consumption.

The CCB police has also issued a notice to television host and actor Anushree through WhatsApp, based on Taruns alleged revelation that she had also been to Shettys party, police sources said.

Tarun was arrested after subjecting him to a drug test which proved positive, they said.

While a notice was issued to Anushree via WhatsApp, a police team has already left for Bengaluru to hand over the notice in person, the sources said.

Shetty and his aide Aqeel Nausheel were arrested on September 19 under charges of drug consumption and peddling.

Aska, an employee of a spa in the city, who allegedly partied with Shetty was arrested later.

The state CCB police is investigating drug abuse among bigwigs, including those in the film industry, after the Narcotics Control Bureau arrested three people from Bengaluru with a drug haul.

They were allegedly supplying drugs to Kannada film actors and singers.



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Kalaburagi: Members of the Karnataka Prantha Raitha Sangha (KPRS) and the Taluk Raitha Hitarakshana Samiti protested outside the Siddasiri Ethanol Power Unit in Chincholi, demanding appropriate minimum support price (MSP) to sugarcane farmers in Chincholi.

Pointing out that it was decided at the meeting chaired by District In-charge Minister Priyank Kharge on November 15 to provide farmers an MSP of Rs 2,950 per tonne of sugarcane with an additional Rs 50 as support price from sugar factory owners, the protesting farmers also demanded that the decision be implemented.

“The Siddasiri sugar factory owner has violated the agreement by paying each farmer only Rs 2,550,” the farmers have alleged.

President of the KPRS Kalaburagi District Unit Sharanabasappa Mamashetti said, “When he opened the factory, legislator Basanagouda Patil Yatnal had assured that the factory would pay farmers in Kalaburagi an additional Rs 100, but has failed to live up to the word.”

The protesting farmers have demanded that the authorities concerned give priority to sugarcane farmers of Chincholi and Kalagi taluks to support the sugarcane crop. “Also, the factories should employ local youngsters and due measures should be taken to ensure the safety of the drivers of sugarcane transport vehicles,” they said.

They also handed their memorandum to Tahsildar Subbanna Jamakhandi and Power Ethanol Unit General Manager Dayananda Banagara.

The Tahsildar has assured that a meeting with the sugar factory owners would be held to discuss the issues raised by the farmers.