Among the 10 people apprehended is Gajjala Vivekanand, son of BJP leader Yoganand, a prominent businessman and Director of Manjeera Group of Companies.
Gajjala Vivekanand is a prominent businessman and Director of Manjeera Group of Companies. (Supplied)
In a crackdown on drug consumption, the Cyberabad Police launched a raid on the Radisson Blu hotel in Gachibowli, apprehending 10 individuals for prohibited cocaine usage on the night of Sunday, 25 February.
Among the arrested was Gajjala Vivekanand (37), a distinguished businessman and Director of the Manjeera Group of Companies, a construction firm based in Kukatpally, Hyderabad.
The accused is the son of Yoganand Gajjala, a prominent leader of the Telangana unit of the BJP, who contested the Serilingampally Assembly seat in 2018. Yoganand also holds the position of Chairman and Managing Director of Manjeera Constructions Limited.
In a joint operation with the Special Operations Team (SOT), the Cyberabad Police received a tip about Vivekanand and his friends engaging in drug use.
Upon arriving at the hotel, the police found it deserted, however, upon inspection of the premises, they discovered three plastic sachets of cocaine — each weighing a gram — and a white paper roll used for inhaling the drug.
Cocaine, derived from the coca plant, is primarily utilised for recreational purposes and has also been historically used by indigenous South Americans for medicinal reasons.
Further investigation led the police to Vivekanand’s residence, where he was promptly arrested. “During interrogation, he (Vivekanand) revealed that he organised a party for his friends in his hotel room, featuring cocaine,” B Jemes Babu, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Gachibowli, told South First.
Subsequently, Vivekanand underwent a medical examination, confirming a positive test for the substance.
#Telangana : The @cyberabadpolice has arrested 10 people from @RadissonBlu's Gachibowli branch for cocaine usage and consumption.
Among those arrested is the Director of Manjeera Group of Companies ( construction firm) in #Hyderabad, Gajjala Vivekanand (37).
He is also the son… pic.twitter.com/dypvRI8uhZ
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) February 26, 2024
The police are now hot on the trail of the drug peddlers and other individuals involved in the case.
Among Vivekanand’s nine friends are Syed Abbas Ali Jeffery, Nirbhay, and Kedhar, the police disclosed, adding that three mobile phones were confiscated for further investigation.
According to the Manjeera Group’s website, Vivekanand assumed the role of a non-executive and non-independent Director on the board of the construction company in 2020.
A graduate in Civil Engineering from Osmania University, Vivekanand holds a Master’s in Construction Management from the prestigious Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, USA.
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