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Pune Police write to IGR office seeking property ownership details of drug kingpin Lalit Patil
The crime branch has also picked up a jeweller from Nashik to find out whether he acted as a front for Patil’s investment in property and gold
PUNE: The crime branch has written a letter to the Pune-headquartered Inspector-General of Registration and Stamps (IGR), Maharashtra, seeking property ownership details of arrested drug kingpin, Lalit Patil. Property transactions including ownership details of all other accused besides Patil have also been sought from the IGR office.
Additional commissioner of police (crime) Ramnath Pokle confirmed to Hindustan Times that the crime branch has sent the letter to the IGR office. “Taking into account the widened probe into the Lalit Patil drug case, the crime branch is looking into the angle of drug money investment in property. We have sent a letter to the IGR office seeking details of Lalit Patil’s properties and of all other arrested accused in the case,” Pokle said.
The crime branch has also picked up a jeweller from Nashik to find out whether he acted as a front for Patil’s investment in property and gold. The two accused women arrested by the police for sheltering Patil and funding his escape are also being investigated for laundering the ill-gotten gains of the notorious drug dealer. According to the investigators, Patil invested drug money in real estate and other ventures which are currently being probed down to the minutest details.
Patil, who was admitted to ward number 16 of the Sassoon Hospital, escaped despite the ward being under electronic and police surveillance. Patil was later arrested by the Mumbai police and is currently in their custody.
During a press conference on Monday, MLA Ravindra Dhangekar claimed that a nexus between the police and ministers of the present government is behind Lalit Patil. Dhangekar alleged that Patil is just a drug peddler whereas the main drug syndicate is being run by the police-minister combine and that there is a strong possibility that Patil will be killed in a staged encounter.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare had earlier demanded that state minister Dada Bhuse’s role in the case be probed. The charge was strongly refuted by Bhuse. Andhare on Friday said that Patil could be killed in a fake encounter or his death could be passed on as a suspicious death to stop further investigation into the case. She added that the current situation in the state is such that nothing can be trusted. She demanded that the Sassoon dean, Yerawada Jail authorities and policemen be investigated for their alleged role in the case.
