Mumbai court extends drug mafia member Lalit Patil's police custody till October 27

Patil was arrested earlier last week after his escape on October 2 from Pune's Sassoon General Hospital.

Lalit Patil was behind the multi-crore mephedrone racket that was busted by the Pimpri-Chinchwad police in 2020. He was arrested from Chennai on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, with the arrest of the drug Mafia, a war of words has emerged between the ruling Shiv Sena and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction), with the former alleging that the previous Uddhav Thackeray government helped the mafia.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis earlier alleged that when Uddhav Thackeray's government was in power the public prosecutor did not oppose Lalit Patil's stay in hospital. He also said that Lalit Patil was made Nashik District Chief of Shiv Sena by Uddhav Thackeray.

"Shivsena of Uddhav Thackeray had made him(Lalit Patil) Nashik city president. When he was arrested his Police custody was sought. When he was sent to Police custody, he was admitted to Sassoon Hospital and the prosecutor of that time didn't even oppose his Hospital stay. And after 14 days he was sent to judicial custody. So when he was arrested, he was not even interrogated by police. How will the case proceed?" Fadnavis asked.

In response to it, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said, "...This man (Lalit Patil) has no relation with Shiv Sena. There is a man called Dadaji Bhuse in your cabinet. He had brought that man into Shiv Sena and called him his 'khaas aadmi'. He had said that the man was going to BJP but he brought him here...He never became a member of the Shiv Sena". (ANI)

"Tell Fadnavis to strengthen his Intelligence otherwise, there will be a 'Hamas-like' situation. Even Israel thought its Intelligence was strong...You too think that your Intelligence is strong but you don't know what goes on behind your back..." he added. (ANI)