Maharashtra: Pune police pursue custody of drug lord Lalit Patil amidst security concerns

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Pune police are in the process of securing the custody of Lalit Patil, a notorious figure in the drug trade, and other accused Shivaji Shinde and Rohit Chaudhary. Their custody request comes following the Andheri court's decision to grant judicial custody to the accused, with the intention to further their interrogation.

"Since the Andheri court has granted judicial custody to the accused, we are seeking their custody to further interrogate them," said Pune police.

Yesterday, Lalit Patil expressed concerns about his safety, alleging physical assault by the Pune police during his stay at Sasson Hospital. "I was physically assaulted by the Pune police when I was in Sasson Hospital," he had said. This statement was made by Patil in court, accompanied by a plea to avoid being handed over to the Pune police. Patil's lawyer, Swapnil Wagh, filed an application reflecting Patil's concerns, and the magistrate agreed to listen to Patil's plea before any transfer of custody.

Also read: Mumbai court extends police custody for drug mafia Lalit Patil, associates

Speaking to midday.com, Wagh expressed that Patil cited security apprehensions, fearing for his safety under the Pune police's custody. Wagh assured the court that Patil was willing to cooperate with the police but insisted on adequate security arrangements during his transfer.

A contingent from the Pune police has arrived in the city to facilitate the transfer of the three accused to their custody.

On October 27, court in Andheri decided to extend the police custody of Lalit Patil, along with his driver Sachin Wagh and accused Harish Pant, until October 30 in a drug-related case. Lalit Patil is alleged to be the mastermind behind the multi-crore mephedrone racket, which was exposed by the Pimpri-Chinchwad police in 2020.

According to the police, Harish Pant, who was apprehended on Thursday, possessed knowledge of the formula for manufacturing MD (mephedrone). He disclosed this formula to Lalit Patil and his brother Bhushan Patil, leading to the establishment of an MD production facility in Nashik, the report stated.

According to the report, during court proceedings, the police emphasized the need for the three suspects to be interrogated together, requiring the transfer of Bhushan Patil's custody from Pune Police.