Dr. Namrata Chigurupati, the CEO of Omega Hospital in Hyderabad, was arrested on May 8 after being caught buying 53 grams of cocaine from a Mumbai-based supplier. The arrest took place when Raidurgam police intercepted the delivery, made by a man named Balakrishna, who was handing over the drugs to the doctor in her car near a restaurant.
According to the police, Dr. Namrata had ordered the drugs from Vansh Dhakkar, the Mumbai supplier, via WhatsApp on May 4, paying a sum of Rs5 lakh for the cocaine. The drugs were being delivered by Balakrishna, who was apprehended during the handover.
In addition to the drugs, the police also seized Rs10,000 in cash and two cell phones. During interrogation, Dr. Namrata, who reportedly has a history of drug addiction, confessed to spending around Rs70 lakh on drugs over time. Both she and Balakrishna have been sent to judicial custody.
The police are also investigating further links in the drug trade, including a potential local peddler involved in the syndicate. A sample of the cocaine has been sent to the Telangana Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis.
This arrest comes amid rising concerns over narcotics trafficking, with syndicates increasingly using air routes to smuggle high-value drugs like cocaine. In related developments, the Mumbai unit of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) recently seized over 18 kilograms of cocaine, valued at Rs180 crore, between April 2024 and March 2025.
