The political controversy surrounding the escape of drug lord Lalit Patil from a Pune hospital continues to escalate. While Lalit Patil's name dominated the news until yesterday, the recent arrest of his brother, Bhushan Patil, in Uttar Pradesh has introduced new developments into the picture.
Bhushan's name first came into the news when Mumbai police also conducted a raid on a manufacturing facility in a Nashik's Shinde village allegedly operated by Bhushan. In the process, they seized approximately 133 kg of MDMA valued at 300 crore rupees.
Bhushan arrested from UP
On Wednesday, Bhushan was arrested in a joint operation by the Pune Crime Branch of the Maharashtra Police and Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), in connection with the earlier drug seizure in Nashik.
Here's how the trio would work
Shinde village, near Nashik city, has recently garnered attention due to its involvement with MD drugs. In a span of just a few days, separate operations by the Mumbai Police and Nashik Police led to substantial seizures of MD drugs and materials used in their production.
Reportedly, Bhushan Patil, a trained chemical engineer, was responsible for an illegal drug manufacturing facility operating in Shinde village. This operation focused on the production of MDMA, with Abhishek Balakwade handling transportation and Lalit Patil overseeing distribution.
What is Lalit Patil's Case?
The series of events began with the discovery of narcotics valued at ₹2 crore near the entrance of Sassoon Hospital. Subsequent investigations unveiled that Lalit Patil, an inmate at Yerwada Jail, had been engaged in drug smuggling during his medical treatment at Sassoon Hospital. On Monday, October 2, Patil successfully escaped from the hospital's treatment room with the assistance of a car driver.
Notably, Patil had been among the individuals detained in the extensive MDMA operation in Chakan, which the Pimpri-Chinchwad police had dismantled in October 2020. Initially imprisoned at Yerwada Central Prison, his deteriorating health necessitated medical attention in June of this year, leading to his admission to Sassoon Hospital.
