Mahajan's son critical; aide dead; suspects surrender

Doctors suspected poisoning and the police said it could have been caused by a drug overdose in a late-night binge.

Less than a month ago, Rahul Mahajan was a picture of composure, consoling his sister at his father Pramod Mahajan’s funeral. Early on Friday, that image was shattered as the 32-year-old was rushed to Apollo Hospital and put on life-support system.

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Doctors suspected poisoning and the police said it could have been caused by a drug overdose in a late-night binge at the 7, Safdarjung Road house allotted to the late BJP leader. Bottles of champagne and two packets containing a white powder — suspected to be cocaine — were recovered from the house.

Also at the party were his father’s secretary Vivek Moitra and four other guests. Moitra — a confirmed bachelor, with no known female friends — was declared brought dead at the hospital. Sources said it was a heady mix of cocaine and champagne that Mahajan and Moitra had consumed.

		Present Status Rahul is under observation for 72 hrs. He is on life support system with low level of oxygen in blood   Forensic team probing the case   Use of drug not ruled out   3 men visited Rahul, Maitra on Thursday night   They left telling the servants that Maitra and Rahul were not doing well Household staff detained by Delhi Police, house searched   White powder recovered could be cocaine: Police   Three samples sent for toxicology tests to independent lab   BJP leaders visited Rahul in hospital   No sign of disturbances in house: Police   Police file case under Section 175 of CrPC   Rahul, Vivek brought to hospital at 3 am   Rahul Mahajan is stable: Docs   When tragedy struck Mahajans

Three of the guests, identified as Rahul, Trishay and Karan (all in their early 20s), surrendered before the Mandir Marg police late on Friday. Sahil (the fourth guest and a friend of Moitra’s from Mumbai) was absconding.

The trio’s lawyer, Ranbir Singh Kundu, told reporters that Sahil had asked them to accompany him to a party at “a VIP's place”. They reached Mahajan’s place around 11 p.m. on Thursday. Moitra then demanded that they get cocaine.

The four visitors left the house around 11.45 p.m. to get the drug but Rahul opted out on the way, the lawyer claimed. The police said servants at the house too confirmed that the guests had left the house for some time.

Three of them returned with coke around 12.30 a.m. after which Mahajan and Moitra snorted it. The lawyer said the three were not drug peddlers but had only fetched it after Moitra demanded it.

NDTV said one of the guests said that Mahajan used a Rs 500 note to snort the coke.

Around 3 a.m., one of the visitors rushed out of the drawing room to inform the servants that Mahajan and Moitra were unconscious. The servants then rushed the two to the hospital.