Seven persons including former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse`s son-in-law, arrested following a raid on a “drug party” in Maharashtra`s Pune city in the early hours of Sunday were remanded in police custody till July 29 by a local court, reported the PTI.
Pune police reportedly seized drugs, hookah set ups and liquor after conducting a raid at a party in an apartment in Pune district of Maharashtra.
Pranjal Khewalkar, the husband of former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse`s daughter Rohini Khadse, was among those arrested from the party, where narcotics, hookah set ups and liquor were seized, police said, according to the PTI.
NCP (SP) leader Eknath Khadse said a probe should be conducted to find out if there was a political motive behind the police action.
Rohini Khadse is state president of the women`s wing of the opposition NCP (SP).
The police`s Crime Branch carried out the raid at a studio apartment located in the upscale Kharadi area at around 3:30 am based on a tip-off about a rave party, an official said.
While seeking custody of the accused, the prosecution told the court narcotic substances like cocaine and ganja were seized in the raid.
Custody of the accused was needed to find out the source and supply details of the contraband, the prosecution said.
It also told court two of the seven persons held have prior criminal records.
The prosecution further said the accused had booked three rooms in the said apartment through a hospitality firm for the period between July 25 and July 27 and police needs to inquire about this.
Advocate Vijay Thombre, representing Pranjal Khelwalkar, refuted the charges levelled against his client and claimed he had been falsely implicated, as per the PTI.
Thombre told court Khelwalkar had been stalked on two previous occasions by police.
The current case appears to be a deliberate attempt to frame his client, the advocate further contended.
Khelwalkar does not consume drugs and is a victim of a political malaise, Thombre told court.
After hearing both sides, the judge remanded all seven accused in police custody till July 29.
(with PTI inputs)