A 34-year-old doctor from Hyderabad has been arrested for allegedly procuring cocaine via WhatsApp. The doctor, identified as Chigurupati Namrata, who had resigned as CEO of Omega Hospitals six months prior, was apprehended while receiving a delivery of cocaine. The arrest was made at Rayadurgam junction on Thursday evening.
According to reports, Namrata allegedly ordered 53 grams of cocaine, valued at ₹5 lakh, from a Mumbai-based drug dealer. Along with the doctor, the courier, Balakrishna Rampyar (38 years), was also taken into custody. Authorities seized the drugs, two mobile phones, and ₹10,000 in cash from the accused. Both Namrata and Balakrishna were remanded to judicial custody on Friday.
Investigations revealed that Namrata had been ordering cocaine through WhatsApp, coordinating directly with a Mumbai-based drug peddler named Vansh Thakkar. Deliveries were facilitated through Thakkar's courier, Balakrishna, who collected money from buyers in Hyderabad before returning to Mumbai to obtain fresh supplies. Police sources indicated that a WhatsApp group was used to place orders for these drugs, with members including celebrities and children of businessmen. Orders were reportedly placed openly within the group, and Balakrishna handled the delivery operations in Hyderabad. Investigators are currently probing the identities of other individuals within the group and the duration of the drug network's operation. Thakkar has been named as an accused, and authorities are actively trying to locate and apprehend him.
Namrata reportedly confessed to developing a cocaine habit while pursuing her MBA in Spain. After completing her MD in Radiation Oncology from Amrita University, Kochi in 2017, she moved to Spain, where she occasionally used cocaine with friends on weekends. Upon returning to India, she continued using the drug. She revealed that she procured drugs through Thakkar, who would either deliver them himself or send someone with the delivery location and her car number.
According to the police, Namrata had been procuring cocaine from Thakkar for approximately a year, buying the contraband on a monthly basis. She received instructions from Thakkar via WhatsApp regarding the delivery location and time, with Thakkar using disappearing messages.
The doctor, who is said to be heavily addicted to drugs, is likely to be sent to a rehabilitation center based on police recommendation. Officials stated that this case is part of a broader crackdown on high-profile drug rings operating between Hyderabad and Mumbai, and more arrests are likely as the investigation progresses.
