Pune: Absconding drug smuggler Lalit Patil, who had fled from Pune's Sassoon Hospital during treatment on October 2, has been captured from Bengaluru. The Mumbai crime branch successfully nabbed the multi-crore drug racket operator on Tuesday. Patil's 15-day evasion ended with his arrest by the Mumbai crime branch during the night. He is now scheduled to be transported to Pune for a court appearance.
With him in custody, officials anticipate potential breakthroughs in the drug case. Ten search teams were deployed, and a tip led them to Bengaluru.
Efforts Taken To Nab Absconding Drug Mafia
A senior Mumbai Police officer confirmed this news to FPJ. He was hiding in Karnataka using his drug racket. Lalit Patil, accused in the drug case, had escaped by dodging the hospital administration and the police. Along with Pune Police, Mumbai Police was also searching for him.
A few days ago, Mumbai Police had raided Nashik and seized drugs worth crores of rupees. After this Lalit Patil ran away from Sassoon Hospital. While Pune Police was searching for him, Mumbai Police secretly formed three teams to search for Lalit Patil. He had called an accused arrested in a case registered against him from a new phone number. As soon as this information was received, Mumbai Police was alerted.
A police officer said that in the car of the travel company, Lalit and his two companions first reached Gujarat, Dhule, then Karnataka and then Bengaluru. During all these trips Lalit was in contact with the arrested accused. Eventually, when he was staying in a hotel, the police laid a trap and detained him along with two others.
Drug Cartel Ran At Sassoon Hospital
The situation took an interesting turn when it was disclosed that Lalit Patil was receiving special treatment at Sassoon Hospital, sparking controversy. This revelation triggered political disputes, raising questions about who supported Lalit, a known figure in the drug trade, and how he ran a drug operation from the hospital. It is expected that more information will emerge in the coming days.
The ongoing drug smuggling case at Pune's Sassoon Hospital was brought to light by the Pune Police's Crime Branch. Substances were seized from Lalit Patil's accomplice, the alleged mastermind, at the hospital's entrance. They confiscated approximately 1.75 kilograms of Mephedrone, a drug valued at around two crore rupees. Once the case was exposed, Lalit Patil went into hiding from the hospital.
In the aftermath of these revelations, Sassoon Hospital and the Pune Police have faced criticism from various quarters, leading to swift developments in the case over the past twelve days.
