Bollywood actors Shraddha Kapoor, Siddhant Kapoor, Nora Fatehi, influencer Orry and politician Zeeshan Siddique will not be named in the supplementary chargesheet expected to be filed next week in the 2022 Mumbai drug supply case involving mephedrone, as police said they have found no evidence linking them to it so far.
The supplementary chargesheet will be filed by the Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Mumbai Police, which has completed its probe based on evidence gathered so far. A source said, “An initial chargesheet was filed against three persons and a supplementary chargesheet will now be filed against two arrested accused and other wanted accused. We do not have enough evidence to link the celebrities to the case so far.”
The names of these celebrities had been mentioned by the Mumbai Police in its remand report while seeking custody of an accused in the case in November last year. A few of them, including Orry and Siddhant Kapoor, had also been summoned for questioning by the Mumbai Police.
The celebrities had been named in the drug case filed by the ANC in 2022. While initially three persons were arrested and chargesheeted, the case was revived again in 2024 after a wanted accused in the case, identified as Mohammad Sohail Shaikh alias Lavish, was deported from Dubai on November 2.
It was while seeking further custody of Lavish on November 13 last year, the remand report produced before the court by the police said, “Further investigation into the said accused No. 05 (Lavish) has revealed that he is organising drug parties in the country and abroad and supplying drugs to those parties. The said accused has previously organised drug parties in the country and abroad with …Shraddha Kapoor, Siddhanth Kapoor, Zeeshan Siddique Ori alias Orhan.… and many other people and has himself participated in them and supplied drugs to these and other people,” the remand claimed quoting Lavish.
The police had then issued summons to some of the celebrities based on these claims and recorded their statements. An officer linked to the case said, “We will be filing a supplementary chargesheet against Lavish and Mohammad Iqbal Ansari who was arrested in November apart from other wanted accused in the case. We have however so far not found any evidence against the celebrities and hence they will not be named.” The officer however said that in future if they do find evidence, they could be charged at a later stage.
As per the remand report, the case began on August 4, 2022 when one Mohammad Shahrukh Shaikh (28) was arrested by ANC and 995 grams mephedrone worth Rs one lakh was seized from him. Next day the ANC unit checked his house and allegedly found several bags of mephedrone. The police said they found he had made a passport using forged documents to go to Dubai and meet the main accused Mohammad Sohail Shaikh alias Lavish.
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During investigation, the police arrested two others – Fazle Siddique and Mohammad Gulfaraz Shaikh – for being part of the network that supplied mephedrone to Mumbai. A chargesheet was filed in the case. The police had been looking for Lavish and had a non-bailable warrant issued against him. He was suspected to be holed up in Dubai. Eventually, on November 2, he was deported from Dubai and the ANC arrested him. As per police, Lavish said he worked on behalf of alleged international drug peddler Salim Dola and his interrogation led the ANC to a factory in Sangli where he claimed mephedrone was manufactured. The ANC however found that the Sangli factory had already been busted by the crime branch in 2024.
Mohamed Thaver is a highly specialized journalist with the Expertise and Authority required to report on complex law enforcement and legal issues. With a career dedicated to the crime beat for over a decade, his work provides readers with informed and trustworthy insights into Maharashtra's security and justice systems.
Experience & Authority
Core Focus: Has been exclusively covering the crime beat for over a decade, building deep, specialized knowledge in the field.
Geographical Authority: Currently focuses heavily on law enforcement and policy in Maharashtra, providing authoritative coverage of the state's security apparatus.
Key Beats:
Law Enforcement: Reports on the operations of the Maharashtra Police and the Mumbai Crime Branch.
Policy & Administration: Covers the Maharashtra Home Department, focusing on policy matters related to handling law and order and the evolution of the police force.
Judiciary: Has significant past experience covering the courts, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the entire criminal justice process from investigation to verdict.
Specialized Interest (Cyber & Forensics): Demonstrates Expertise in modern investigative techniques, with a keen focus on cyber crime and forensics, reporting on how these technologies assist complex crime investigations.
Content Focus: His reports revolve around police probes, the evolution of the force, and state policy, ensuring his content is highly relevant and detailed.
Credentials & Trustworthiness
Mohamed Thaver’s long-standing specialization in the crime beat—combined with his focus on technological aspects like cyber crime and his direct coverage of major institutions like the Mumbai Crime Branch and the Maharashtra Home Department—underscores his Trustworthiness and status as an expert source for detailed and reliable journalism on law and order.
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