Cops take custody of Lalit Patil’s aide to probe transport, sale of Mephedrone from Nashik factory

Assistant Commissioner of Police Sunil Tambe of crime branch produced Golu before a magistrate court in Pune.
Police said the court arrested Golu on September 23, 2023, in connection with a narcotics racket case lodged at the Sakinaka police station in Mumbai. He was later remanded to magisterial custody and lodged at the Taloja jail in Mumbai.

Police told the court they picked up Golu from Taloja jail on Friday to investigate his role in the drug seizure case against Lalit Patil in Pune.

Judicial Magistrate (first class) A C Birajdar remanded Golu to police custody till October 27 for further investigation.

Mumbai police had arrested Golu, a resident of Dharavi, along with Jishan Shaikh, Rahul Pandit alias Rohitkumar Chowdhary alias Amitkumar of Nashik, in a drug seizure case.

While probing the matter, the Mumbai police had raided the factory in the Shindegaon MIDC in Nashik and had seized Mephedrone worth Rs 300 crore from the spot. And during further investigation Mumbai police also arrested kingpin Lalit Patil from Chennai on October 17.

Patil was among the 22 persons arrested by the Pimpri Chinchwad police in connection with the seizure of 20 kg of Mephedrone worth Rs 20 crore from Chakan in October 2020.

Police told the court Saturday that Golu and a wanted accused Imran Shaikh were allegedly involved in transport and sale of Mephedrone manufactured at the factory in Nashik to different places in Maharashtra, including Pune.

Also, police are probing how Golu was holding meetings with Lalit at the Sassoon hospital for the purpose of Mephedrone trade. Police said they are probing financial transactions involving Golu in the Mephedrone transport and sale.

Assistant public prosecutor Neelam Yadav Ithape told the court that Golu’s police custody was essential for confronting him with other arrested accused and to know the whereabouts of absconding accused Imran Shaikh.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested two women, Pradnya Kamble and Archana Nikam (33) from Nashik on Wednesday for allegedly planning Lalit’s escape from Sassoon Hospital.