Ex-Maharashtra mantri kin, 6 others held in Pune drug party bust | India News

PUNE: Former state minister Eknath Khadse’s son-in-law Pranjal Khewalkar and 6 others, together with two ladies, have been arrested after a Pune police staff claimed to have busted a home party early on Sunday in a Kharadi studio flat off Pune-Ahmednagar freeway the place cocaine, marijuana and hookah pots have been used together with liquor consumption.Police later took Khewalkar, who’s an MD (medication) and the husband of Rohini Khadse, who heads the NCP (SP)’s state ladies’s wing, and others to Sassoon General Hospital for medical exams after which to his bungalow in Hadapsar the place searches have been carried out as a part of an investigation to hint the supply of the medicine.“A laptop, three pen drives and a hard disk were among the articles seized from the bungalow,” a police officer mentioned.Khewalkar and the others have been produced earlier than judicial Justice of the Peace firstclass N S Bari who ordered their custodial remand till Tuesday.Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar informed TOI, “Our crime branch team reached the flat following a tip-off and detained seven individuals, including Khewalkar, who were found partying there. The team seized cocaine (2.5g), marijuana (70g), hookah flavours and many liquor bottles.”Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Manoj Pingale mentioned, “The seized drugs, hookah pots and flavours will be sent to forensic laboratory for further examination.”Police recognized the opposite people as Nikhil Poptani (35), a cigarette dealer from Hadapsar, Sameer Sayyed (41), a {hardware} businessman from NIBM Road, Shripad Yadav (27), a builder from Akurdi, Sachin Bhombe (42) of Wagholi, Isha Singh (22) of Aundh and Prachi Sharma (23) of Mhalunge,” deputy commissioner of police (crime) Nikhil Pingale said. He added that Khewalkar has a practice in Jalgaon and stays in Hadapsar.A case for offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) has been registered with the Kharadi police.Pingale said, “Khewalkar booked three suites in the studio condo for 3 days between Friday and Sunday. He paid for them. Three different ladies have been to reach on the flat however walked away when the police motion started. The males and the ladies know one another via a party circle.”Sassoon General Hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Yallapa Jadhav said, “Seven folks, two ladies and 5 males, have been dropped at the hospital’s casualty on Sunday at 6.15am for medical examination and pattern for alcohol and medicines consumption. Two had consumed alcohol in response to the first examination by the CMO. Blood and urine samples have been collected from all and sealed and handed over to the police.”In court, prosecutor Priyanka Vengurlekar submitted that police needed seven days of custody to investigate the source of the drugs, including cocaine and marijuana, and to ascertain if an organized gang was involved in the illegal sale of banned substances and if the accused have links to any inter-state drug network.“Two of the accused arrested are ordinary offenders as they’ve instances registered towards them in the previous” she added.Khewalkar’s lawyer Vijaysingh Thombare submitted that the arrest was politically motivated. “There have been earlier makes an attempt by the police in civil garments to entice my shopper at two completely different places, and CCTV footage from each websites helps this declare,” he said.Lawyer Abid Mulani, representing two other accused, submitted, “Police failed to supply the grounds of arrest to the accused on the time of their detention which is in direct violation of Section 50 of the CrPC, which mandates that the arrested individuals be told of the grounds in such an arrest.”Lawyer Sachin Zalte, appearing for co-accused Shripad Yadav, submitted that police have failed to mention in their arrest report the quantity of cocaine seized from the accused. The omission is crucial, as possession of less than two grams qualifies as a bailable offence under the current law.The court, while granting two-day custody, said the allegations of illegal arrest can be taken up in subsequent hearings.