The Pune City police reportedly raided an apartment in the upmarket Kharadi area where drugs, including cocaine, were recovered and detained seven people, including Pranjal Khewalkar, the son-in-law of former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse.
Apart from Khewalkar, husband of NCP (SP) leader Rohini Khadse-Khewalkar, the police have detained two women and four men after the raid around 3 am, said the Crime Branch wing of the police, the Indian Express reported.
The event, disguised as a “private house party,” was taking place at a flat inside a lodge in Kharadi. Based on a tip-off, Pune Police carried out the raid and detained five men and two women. During the search, the police, reportedly recovered narcotic substances, hookahs, and liquor. It was confirmed that those present were consuming drugs, smoking hookah, and drinking alcohol.
The involvement of Pranjal Khewalkar, closely tied to powerful political families, has intensified the political implications of the case. All seven detainees, including Khewalkar, have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and other relevant sections.
Officials, according to Pune Mirror, have confirmed that a deeper investigation is underway to identify the suppliers and the full extent of the illegal network. Sources say more names could emerge as the inquiry progresses.
This incident has once again brought to light the growing trend of unauthorized and drug-fueled rave parties in Pune’s elite residential zones, raising serious questions about security, enforcement, and political accountability.
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