Exclusive | Mumbai fake drug case: 'God had other plans'

The CCTV footage showing the cops searching and allegedly planting the drugs on Dylan Estibeiro

Dylan Estibeiro, a 30-year-old Kalina resident, narrowly escaped a drug case frame-up orchestrated by the Khar police, last Friday. The incident, captured on CCTV, went viral, leading to the suspension of a police sub-inspector and three constables. Estibeiro, who feared for his life and freedom, recounted the harrowing experience, revealing how plainclothes officers allegedly attempted to plant drugs on him. His testimony and the damning footage have now led to an investigation into police misconduct, with authorities now scrutinising the actions and motives of the officers involved.

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Speaking to mid-day, Estibeiro said, "I still can't explain how I felt at that moment. My entire family was terrified. I thought I was going to jail in a drug case and that I would never leave prison, that my entire life would be ruined. But God had other plans. The officers who tried to frame me are now suspended, and I have faith in the legal system. I especially want to thank DCP Raj Tilak Roshan, who spoke to me and contacted my parents, reassuring us that justice would be served. Because of that, I now have the courage to speak out. These police officials could frame anyone in a similar manner, and if there hadn't been CCTV footage, I would likely be behind bars today."

Explaining the sequence of events, Estibeiro said, "Shahbaz Khan is my childhood friend, and I've been visiting his farm for the past 20 to 22 years. On Friday evening, I was there when suddenly four men in plain clothes stormed the premises, asking for Khan. Since he wasn't there, one of them started searching me. Suddenly, he pulled out a white packet and claimed it was drugs. I told him, ‘This isn't mine, it's yours!' But he insisted it was 20 grams of mephedrone and threatened to add 20 more to make it a commercial quantity. They took me to the Khar area, but instead of taking me to the police station, they held me at a beat chowkie. I was tortured as they tried to frame Khan. I kept pleading that I hadn't done anything wrong, but they wouldn't listen. It wasn't until the CCTV footage surfaced on WhatsApp that they panicked and released me. I was so scared that I walked several kilometres before I finally took an auto-rickshaw to get home."

Dylan Estibeiro

"This open plot is worth Rs 400 crore, and I've had possession of it for the past 40 years. I'm currently in talks with a builder, but in the meantime, I've been threatened by a local politician, who said they would frame me in a drug case. And that's exactly what happened," Khan said. "On Friday, I was at home because I wasn't feeling well. My childhood friend was there, and they planted drugs on him. They didn't know about the CCTV cameras inside the premises. When I checked the footage, I was shocked to see how they planted the ‘drugs' on my friend. I immediately made sure the footage reached the corrupt cops, and they released him. I was asked not to share the video, but I thought, if they're doing this to us today, they could frame another innocent person tomorrow."

The CCTV camera at the site

After the video went viral, Roushan took cognisance of the matter and summoned all the officials involved. One PSI, identified as Vishwanath Amble, along with three constables, was initially found to have violated proper procedure during the drug-related search.

The place where Dylan was sitting before the cops searched him, (inset) Shahbaz Khan

"After examining the CCTV footage, we observed several lapses, and their behaviour during the search appeared suspicious," Roushan said in a video statement on Saturday. "All of them have been suspended pending further investigation."

According to sources, officials are investigating why the group of officers seen in the CCTV footage entered the jurisdiction of the Vakola police station without informing the local police. They are also questioning why the searches were conducted in plain clothes and without properly maintaining the search diary. "We are verifying whether any senior officers were involved," said a source.

20 gm
Quantity of mephedrone planted on Dylan