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

PUNE: Former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse 's son-in-law Pranjal Khewalkar and six others were arrested early Sunday after a police team raided a studio apartment at Kharadi suburb in eastern Pune and allegedly seized cocaine, marijuana, hookah pots, and liquor during an alleged house party.

Khewalkar, who describes himself as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and doctor on his social media profile, is the husband of Rohini Khadse - head of NCP (Sharad Pawar)'s state women's wing.

He was taken to Sassoon general hospital for a medical exam along with the others before police searched his Hadapsar bungalow, also in Pune. Officers seized a laptop, three pen drives, and a hard disk from the premises.

"Our crime branch team reached the flat following a tip-off and detained seven people, including Khewalkar," police commissioner Amitesh Kumar said. "They were found partying. Cocaine (2.5g), marijuana (70g), hookah flavours, and multiple liquor bottles were seized."

Khewalkar had booked three suites in the studio apartment for three days, police said. "He paid for the rooms. Three other women were supposed to join but left when the raid began," said DCP (crime) Manoj Pingale. "The group knows each other from a party circle."

The others arrested include Nikhil Poptani (35), a cigarette trader from Hadapsar; Sameer Sayyed (41), a hardware dealer 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. A case has been registered under NDPS Act and Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) at Kharadi police station.

The court of judicial magistrate first class NS Bari granted police custody of all seven until Tuesday.

Sassoon hospital medical superintendent Dr Yallapa Jadhav said two of the seven had alcohol. "All were brought at 6.15am for medical exam. Blood and urine samples have been sealed and handed to police."

At the apartment complex - comprising two four-storey buildings with 34 suites off Pune-Ahmednagar highway - staff told TOI that rooms rent for Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,500, including meals. "We ask for ID photocopies from all guests," one employee said.

Prosecutor Priyanka Vengurlekar said in court that police need more time to track the drug source and investigate possible links to an inter-state narcotics network . "Two of the accused are habitual offenders with prior cases," she alleged.

Khewalkar's lawyer Vijaysingh Thombare alleged political targeting. "There were attempts to trap my client earlier at two locations, and CCTV footage supports this."

Advocate Abid Mulani, representing two accused, claimed procedural lapses. "Police didn't inform them of the arrest grounds, violating Section 50 of CrPC." Lawyer Sachin Zalte, appearing for Yadav, said police failed to specify the amount of cocaine seized from each accused. "Possession below two grams is a bailable offence under law."

The court said these allegations could be taken up in future hearings.