Pune ‘drug party’: 5 held sent to judicial custody; Accused communicated over Instagram, say cops

The Pune court on Thursday sent the five accused men to judicial custody for 14 days. The two women, who were arrested with them after the raid, were earlier remanded to judicial custody.

Those arrested included  Khadse’s son-in-law Dr Pranjal Khewalkar (41), Nikhil Jethanand Poptani (35) a cigarette trader, Sameer Fakir Mohammed Sayyed (41) a hardware businessman, Sachin Sonaji Bhombe (42) a private firm employee and Shripad Mohan Yadav (27) a construction businessman.

The two arrested women have been identified as Isha Devjyot Singh (22) and Prachi Gopal Sharma (23).

Police said 2.7 grams of substance suspected to be cocaine, 70 grams of substances suspected to be marijuana were seized during the raid on July 27.

The five men were produced before the court on Thursday after their police custody ended. While police sought further extension of their custody, the court ordered that they be sent to judicial custody, for which they have been sent to prison. These accused can now apply for bail.

While seeking extension in police custody, the investigation officer submitted before the court the findings of the probe till now. The police told the court that based on the report from cyber experts and witness statements, it has come light that Khewalkar and four other men were in contact with each other for the last two years. Police told the court that they were investigating the chats between the accused persons who communicated through Instagram chats about procuring the drugs.

Police also told the court that Khewalkar had booked the rooms in the studio apartments around 20 times in 2024 and 2025.

Khewalkar, the husband of Eknath Khadse’s daughter Rohini Khadse, who is the NCP (SP) Maharashtra Women’s Wing president, and the six others were arrested after the Pune police’s crime branch raided a studio apartment in the upmarket Kharadi area  on July 27 after receiving a tip off about a party there.