Politics over drug kingpin arrest

The arrest of drug kingpin Lalit Patil has led to a major political controversy Shiv Sena UBT leader Sushma Andhare has alleged that the Sena Shinde ministers Dada Bhuse and Shambhuraj Desai had helped Patil escape early this month from Punersquos Sassoon Hospital where he was being treated In response Deputy Chief Minister Home Devendra Fadnavis hinted that the police probe would shut the mouths of politicians who were making allegations Bhuse and Desai have denied the charges and said they were ready to face an inquiryWill reveal names PatilWhile being taken to a Mumbai hospital for a mandatory checkup Patil said on the media cameras that he did not escape from the hospital on his own on October 2 but it was planned and executed by others He promised to reveal the names of those associated with the planFrom left PWD Minister Dada Bhuse Sushma Andhare Shiv Sena UBT leader Lalit Patil the drug kingpinPatil had been in Yerwada Central Prison since 2020 and was being treated since June this year When two of his associates were arrested near the hospital with a sizable quantity of mephedrone worth Rs 2 crore his drug network was exposed Lalit escaped a day after his associates were arrested The Mumbai Police had raided a factory in Nashik allegedly owned by Patilrsquos chemical engineer brother Bhushan who was also arrested later for producing mephedrone in the facilityAndharersquos allegationsAndhare reiterated allegations after Patilrsquos claims She demanded that Bhuse Desai and the dean of Sassoon Hospital be made to undergo a narco test and the probe be transferred to Central agencies Earlier on October 13 she had asked the police to verify Bhuse and Sassoon Hospitalrsquos call records She wanted to know whether Bhuse had taken Patil to the Kalanagar residence of Uddhav Thackeray Similarly Pune MLA Ravindra Dhangekar had accused a ministerrsquos hand in Patilrsquos escapeWill quit politics BhusePWD Minister Bhuse denied the allegations He said on Wednesday that he would quit politics if the charges against him were proven ldquoIrsquom ready for any kind of probe and narco test But I would also want Andhare to be subjected to the same test We should find out who is prompting her to make such wild allegations I think she is doing this for publicity Since Patil has been arrested the truth will come out nowrdquo he told the media reportersHe said it was the second time he was responding to Andharersquos allegations ldquoI had discussed the matter in a live debate with her on a news channel I was ready for the probe then as well Irsquom still open to it I donrsquot mind even an international proberdquo he addedDefamation notice DesaiExcise Minister Desai said he would quit politics if the allegations were true ldquoHer Andharersquos statement deserves a laugh but it has definitely maligned my image I will take legal advice and serve Andhare a notice seeking an apologyrdquo he saidPatil a pawn PatoleMaharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Nana Patole said Patil was just a pawn in the drug business ldquoWho is the mastermind in this caserdquo he askedCongratulating the Mumbai Police for arresting Patil Patole said that a large consignment of drugs had been seized in Nashik followed by a seizure in the MIDC in Solapur ldquoDiscovery of such consignments in Maharashtra is a shameful incident for the stateIt has come to light that Lalit Patil was availing himself of all facilities at the Sassoon Hospital We had previously warned that efforts were being made to protect Patil Today our claims have proven to be true as he himself has admitted that he was being protected We need to know who is protecting people like Lalit Patilrdquo added PatoleMore than meets the eye HMIn response Fadnavis said on Wednesday that was a lsquomorethanmeetstheeyersquo case ldquoA bigger nexus will be exposed I canrsquot tell you much more but I can tell you that the exposeacute will shut the mouth of the people who are saying such things allegationsrdquo he saidFadnavis said people attached to Sassoon Hospital were also being probed in Patilrsquos escape He said it was a result of the lsquodrugfreersquo mission that the home department had started in the state ldquoAll units have been told to bust the drug business It was during this mission that a factory in Nashik was raidedrdquo he added