Hyderabad pub raid: Niharika Konidela, Rahul Sipligunj detained; released later
The Hyderabad Police raided an upscale pub in the Banjara Hills locality during the early hours of Sunday for operating beyond the permitted hours. The raid led to the detention of multiple high-profile guests, which included Tollywood actor Niharika Konidela and Telugu Bigg Boss 3 winner, singer Rahul Sipligunj. Reportedly, around 150 people were detained in total and most of them were released later.
Notably, the pub in question, Pudding and Mink located at Radisson Blu Hotel, didn't have permission to operate past midnight, leading to a raid by the Hyderabad Police Task Force. Furthermore, there were reports of police finding banned substances on its premises. Blood samples of as many as 45 detainees were taken to conduct tests and see if anyone was involved in substance abuse.
As per ETimes, both Konidela and Sipligunj spent the night in custody along with other VIP detainees. While the singer was reportedly let go at around 8:00 am on Sunday, Konidela was spotted leaving the police station at around 12:00 pm. Soon after, Konidela's father, actor-producer Naga Babu, released a video statement addressing the issue. He confirmed Konidela was indeed present at the pub.
Quashing unwarranted rumors spreading on social media, Babu clarified that his daughter had nothing to do with the illegal substances found at the scene. "The police have confirmed she is clean and has nothing to do with the drugs that were recovered," he said. Notably, Babu is the brother of Telugu megastar Chiranjeevi. The results of her blood test are reportedly yet to come.
Actor producer #NagaBabu releases a statement for Media. pic.twitter.com/cI2BLn1L7b
— Vamsi Kaka (@vamsikaka) April 3, 2022
Meanwhile, the pub's owners—Abhishek Vuppala, Arjun Veeramachineni, and Anil Kumar—were booked under the NDPS Act. Police sources have confirmed to a publication that five packets of cocaine were found during the raid. Reportedly, a suspension order for Banjara Hills Police Station SHO, Inspector P Shiva Chandra, was also issued. This raid is part of a bigger drive to end the drugs menace in Hyderabad.
