Lalit Patil case: Mumbai Police seizes 20 kg MD drug worth Rs 40 cr from Nashik

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Lalit Patil case: Mumbai Police have seized 20 Kg of mephedrone (MD) drug, allegedly dumped by drug mafia member Lalit Patil's driver Sachin Wagh, from a waterbody in Nashik, officials said on Wednesday, reported news agency ANI.

A team from the Saki Naka police in Mumbai carried out a search operation to recover the drug packets in the multi-crore mephedrone drug racket seizure case, reported ANI.

As per police, the seized drugs are valued at around Rs 40 crore are said to be dumped by Wagh into the Girna river in Deola taluka of Nashik district, reported ANI.

Earlier on Monday, Mumbai's Andheri Court extended drug mafia member Lalit Patil's police custody till October 27, reported ANI.

Patil was arrested last week from Chennai after his escape on October 2 from Pune's Sassoon General Hospital.

Lalit Patil was behind the multi-crore mephedrone racket that was busted by the Pimpri-Chinchwad police in 2020.

Meanwhile, with the arrest of the drug Mafia, a war of words has emerged between the ruling Shiv Sena and the Shiv Sena (UBT), with the former alleging that the previous Uddhav Thackeray government helped the mafia.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier alleged that when Uddhav Thackeray's government was in power the public prosecutor did not oppose Lalit Patil's stay in hospital. He also said that Lalit Patil was made Nashik District Chief of Shiv Sena by Uddhav Thackeray.

"Shivsena of Uddhav Thackeray had made him(Lalit Patil) Nashik city president. When he was arrested his Police custody was sought. When he was sent to Police custody, he was admitted to Sassoon Hospital and the prosecutor of that time didn't even oppose his Hospital stay. And after 14 days he was sent to judicial custody. So when he was arrested, he was not even interrogated by police. How will the case proceed?" Fadnavis asked.

In response to it, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, "...This man (Lalit Patil) has no relation with Shiv Sena. There is a man called Dadaji Bhuse in your cabinet. He had brought that man into Shiv Sena and called him his 'khaas aadmi'. He had said that the man was going to BJP but he brought him here...He never became a member of the Shiv Sena".

(With inputs from ANI)