Thane ₹2,000-crore drug haul: Mamta Kulkarni’s properties to be attached

Thane police had issued notices against her three flats in Versova in Mumbai, which cost around Rs20 crore.

A special court designated under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act ordered the attachment of properties of former Bollywood actress, Mamta Kulkarni, one of the accused in a Rs2,000-crore drug haul in Thane.

Till now, 14 people have been arrested in the case, while five are on the run and are abroad, including Kulkarni. (HT FILE)

The case was registered at Vartak Nagar police station when the police arrested two men with ephedrone in Vartak Nagar on April 13, 2016. Total 20.25 tonnes of ephedrine was seized in the haul. The police traced the source of the drugs to a Solapur factory. On June 18, 2016, Kulkarni’s name cropped up in the case when one of the accused, Jay Mukhi, said he saw Kulkarni in a meeting regarding the drug trade in Kenya.

In June 2017, a proclamation order was issued against Kulkarni and her alleged husband Vicky Goswami. Thane police had issued notices against her three flats in Versova in Mumbai, which cost around Rs20 crore.

The notices said that if by July 10, 2018, both accused do not come to the police station to record their statement, the police might seize their property. “After many months, when they failed to appear before the court, the court issued orders to seize their property. We are most likely to get the order by tomorrow,” said an officer from the Thane commissionerate.

The order was given by special NDPS court judge HM Patwardhan last week. Special public prosecutor, Shishir Hirey said, “The court directed the attachment of only Mamta Kulkarni’s properties.”

Till now, 14 people have been arrested in the case, while five are on the run and are abroad, including Kulkarni.