Hyderabad police takes custody of Curlies owner Edwin Nunes in drugs case

PANAJI: The Hyderabad police who were searching for Anjuna, North Goa-based Curlies shack owner Edwin Nunes took custody of the latter today from the Goa police, after obtaining the requisite custody remand from the Goa court.

Nunes is named in a criminal case at the Ramgopalpet police station in Hyderabad city.

Nunes earlier surrendered before the Anjuna police in another case, which was filed against him for forging a Covid certificate from a private diagnostics lab.

Nunes had approached the Telangana High court and earlier a sessions court in Hyderabad with an anticipatory bail application, in the Hyderabad drugs case, which was rejected by both the courts.

It may be recalled that actor and politician Sonali Phogat had died in mysterious circumstances at the restaurant owned by Nunes in August. She had allegedly consumed drugs along with her associates, both at her hotel as well as at the Curlies restaurant.

The Hyderabad police have alleged that Nunes and another Goan restaurant owner – Steve alias Joseph Stephan Dsouza were the kingpins of a multi-state drugs racket and that they procured and supplied drugs to various clients across the country.

Nunes is among dozens of drug dealers and peddlers wanted by the Hyderabad narco cops, following a drug-bust in Telangana three months ago.

Sources said police from Telangana’s Lalaguda were camping in Goa after the Additional Sessions Court in Mapusa had ordered Nunes, earlier this week, to surrender before the police in Anjuna for forging a COVID-19 certificate.

They did not want to take any chance and as soon as Nunes was granted bail in the Anjuna police station fake Covid certificate case, they whisked him away, before he could disappear.