18 October,2023 05:02 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondent
Devendra Fadnavis/ File Photo
The arrest of Lalit Patil, a key figure in the seizure of approximately Rs 300 crore worth of mephedrone, is expected to reveal a substantial drug network in the state of Maharashtra, as affirmed by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday.
Addressing reporters in Pune after the Mumbai police announced the apprehension of Patil near Bengaluru, the senior BJP leader stated that this arrest would lead to a "major revelation" concerning Patil's involvement in the drug trade within the state. He asserted that those who have been casually discussing the state's affairs would soon be silenced, stated a PTI report.
Fadnavis commented, "A major revelation will soon come out in connection with Lalit Patil and his drug nexus in the state. Those who are currently loosely talking about the state's affairs will be shut completely."
Lalit Patil, who was an inmate at Yerawada Jail in Pune, was arrested on Tuesday night by a Mumbai police team in a hotel located between Bengaluru and Chennai. Patil had escaped from the government-operated Sassoon General Hospital in Pune on October 2 while he was being taken for an X-ray, according to the report.
In response to questions about Patil's escape from the hospital, Fadnavis, who also serves as the state's home minister, stated, "No one will be spared. The inquiry into this matter is ongoing. All those who made a mistake will face action." Nine police personnel were suspended following Patil's escape from the hospital.
Lalit Patil was a wanted individual in a multi-crore mephedrone seizure case, which was exposed by the Sakinaka police after a raid on a factory in Nashik. He is the 15th accused to be arrested in connection with this case.
Additionally, the report stated that on October 6, the Mumbai police revealed the seizure of 151 kg of mephedrone valued at Rs 300 crore and had apprehended several individuals from various cities as a result of an operation spanning the past two months, which included the raid at a drug manufacturing facility in Nashik.
Following his arrest, Patil was brought before a magistrate court in Andheri on Wednesday and was remanded in police custody until October 23. The police sought his custody based on information from previously arrested suspects who had revealed his involvement. Patil's arrest was also based on the analysis of suspicious call data records recovered by the police.
On September 30, the Pune city police arrested an individual outside the Sassoon General Hospital in possession of mephedrone worth Rs 2 crore. Subsequent investigations led to the apprehension of a hospital canteen staff member who disclosed that the contraband had been supplied by Lalit Patil, an inmate of Yerawada Jail admitted to the hospital at the time. However, Patil managed to escape from the hospital on October 2 while being transported for an X-ray, which resulted in the suspension of nine police personnel.
On October 10, the Pune police arrested Lalit Patil's brother, Bhushan Patil, and his associate, Abhishek Balkawade, near the Nepal border in Uttar Pradesh in connection with the mephedrone seizure case. The Maharashtra government had established a four-member committee to conduct an inquiry into Lalit Patil's escape from the hospital.
