Hyderabad: As the investigation into the massive drug bust involving some of the top names in Telugu film industry intensified, the Telangana Excise and Prohibition director Akun Sabharwal cancelled his leave.

He took the decision after the news of his proceeding on leave created a ruckus with the opposition parties suspecting foul play. Leaders of the Congress, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that there was political pressure on Akun Sabharwal to go slow on the probe forcing him to go on leave.

Though the IPS officer clarified that he had planned his leave long ago to go to the Himalayas, the opposition parties did not buy it.

Cancelling his leave on Saturday, he told the media, “I will not go on leave till the investigation is completed. I have taken the decision in view of the seriousness of the case.”

He clarified that the government was extending full support to the probe.

Union minister of state Bandaru Dattatreya who belongs to the BJP also convened a meeting of officials of the Narcotics Control Bureau to discuss the measures against the drug menace. He said the pub culture in the two Telugu states was pushing the youth into the drugs.

He urged the chief ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to make the states free of the pub culture.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao of Telangana has directed the officials to expedite the probe and clean up the mess. In the backdrop of some ministers and politicians making critical remarks against Sabharwal, the chief minister personally spoke to a top official and asked them not to spare anybody irrespective their position, sources said.

The officials admit that they were under pressure from a couple of ministers and senior officials to go slow but the chief minister’s clear instructions have come as a shot in the arm.

Sources said that some ministers were unhappy with the Excise and Prohibition (E&P) Department for issuing notices to a few schools whose students were found to be have been fallen in the drug tentacles.

The managements of these schools were politically well connected.

Similarly, the imminent action against some of the film personalities has also raised the hackles as they had also close links with the politicos.

The department has already issued notices to 12 films personalities including top heroes, heroines, directors and they have acknowledged receiving the notices.

Thorough the department has not made their names public, speculation was rife about various names. One of them, Tarun, has confirmed that he received the notice but another actor, Nandoo, denied it. The other names doing the rounds are two famous actresses, Charmme Kaur and Mumaith Khan, one of the top directors, Puri Jagannath, actor Ravi Teja. The department has asked them to appear for questioning between July 19 and 26.

Sources said that similar notices will be issued to 15 more film personalities including prominent ones.

The links between drug peddlers and the film industry came to light when the investigators found the mobile numbers of film personalities in the phone of one of the alleged peddlers, Calvin Mascarenhas. The modus operandi involved was to WhatsApp for making contacts and the drivers, servants and assistants of the film personalities will collect the drugs on their behalf.

“The links between the drug peddlers and the Tollywood are not new,” said a senior official.

A probe was launched a few years ago into these links but the case was buried under tremendous political pressure.

At least five such cases were registered in the last seven years, the latest being in 2015 when director Sushanth Reddy was arrested carrying drugs.

Officials believe that some event managers and industry insiders were also involved in this trade as they find ready buyers for narcotic substances.

One such event manager, Piyush Auluck, was arrested by the anti-narcotics wing of the Excise Department on Friday who discovered a lab at his home in East Marredpally in Hyderabad.

Piyush, an engineer by background, had not only procured LSD from Germany and Britain but was manufacturing fake LSD on his own by mixing various substances and pills.

Piyush who had become addicted to drugs during student days later turned a manufacturer and peddler. A large quantity of cocaine and other substances were recovered from his house.

The 13 persons arrested so far on charges of drug peddling include two event managers.