3 min readMumbaiApr 17, 2026 12:24 PM IST
First published on: Apr 16, 2026 at 09:55 PM IST
The Vanrai police on Thursday arrested a 22-year-old college student from South Mumbai, taking the total number of accused to seven in the case involving the death of two management students following an alleged drug overdose at a concert in Goregaon.
The accused, identified as Vineet Gerelani, is suspected to have been involved in drug peddling and was present at the event held at the NESCO Exhibition Centre along with other wanted suspects.
Investigators said a forensic examination of Gerelani’s phone revealed alleged drug-related communication with multiple contacts through Snapchat. Police also found UPI transactions linked to a co-accused who is currently absconding. His location data placed him at the concert venue on April 11, while call records showed he was in frequent contact with other suspects.
“The chats indicate his involvement in large-scale supply of contraband,” a police officer said, citing details from the remand note.
Gerelani was produced before a local court along with six previously arrested accused, whose police custody had ended on Thursday. The court remanded all seven to police custody till April 18.
Those arrested earlier include two classmates of the deceased, event organiser Akash Samal, NESCO employees Samir Jain alias Sani and Kurup Balkrishna, and alleged supplier Anand Patel from Kalyan. Police said the investigation has traced the suspected drug supply to Patel, who allegedly supplied MDMA pills to a student a day before the event, after which the drugs were reportedly distributed among classmates attending the concert.
Officials are now examining Gerelani’s financial records and call data to identify the source of the drugs and trace buyers, while continuing efforts to locate other suspects linked to the supply chain.
In a statement, NESCO said, “Wish to state unequivocally that there has been no lapse or negligence on the part of Nesco or its employees in relation to this incident. Our employees, Sunny Vinod Jain and Balakrishnan Balaram, have discharged their responsibilities in accordance with established procedures and without any wrongdoing. We have full confidence that the ongoing investigation will establish the same. As the matter is currently under investigation, we will refrain from further comments at this stage. We remain committed to cooperating with the authorities and to ensuring that all events hosted at our venue meet the highest standards of safety and compliance.”
The case relates to the deaths of two management students who were part of a group of around 20–22 people attending a techno music concert. Police suspect the students consumed MDMA (ecstasy) during the event. Both victims were enrolled at a city business school and lived in a South Mumbai hostel. A third student who accompanied them survived and is currently recovering in hospital.
The accused, identified as Vineet Gerelani, is suspected to have been involved in drug peddling and was present at the event held at the NESCO Exhibition Centre along with other wanted suspects. (Express Photo by Sankhadeep Banerjee) 
Share
