Sample analysis to take up to a month

While all those detained from the party have given their blood and urine samples and signed undertakings stating that they will cooperate with the police if tested positive for drugs, it will still take a month to get the reports, according to officials at the Maharashtra Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Kalina.

While all those detained from the party have given their blood and urine samples and signed undertakings stating that they will cooperate with the police if tested positive for drugs, it will still take a month to get the reports, according to officials at the Maharashtra Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Kalina.

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The samples will be sent to the laboratory to analyse how many amongst the 91 detained at the party had taken any drugs. It is only after the report comes out that the police can book anyone from the party at Oakwood Premier Hotel in Juhu. But Nangre-Patil, additional commissioner of police (west region), said that he would request the forensic science laboratory to expedite the process of testing the samples and get the results in the next fortnight.

“Considering samples of 91 people have been taken, we will need to check 182 samples (a blood and urine sample of each person). It will take at least a month to test these samples. If the police want, we can send the test analysis in smaller batches earlier,” said an official from the laboratory requesting anonymity.

The official added that in cases of cannabis and cocaine-related drug consumption, there are traces of the drugs in the body for eight to 10 hours during which the blood and urine samples can be taken. “In cases of LSD usage, however, if the tests are not conducted within two hours, it cannot be detected in the body. LSD is a highly volatile drug,” he added.