NESCO Drug Case: Main Supplier Mahesh Khemlani Arrested At Mumbai Airport

Mumbai: In the case of two drug overdose deaths allegedly linked to a music concert held at the NESCO Exhibition Centre on April 11, the Vanrai police finally arrested the main accused, who was at large, from the Mumbai international airport as he arrived from Thailand on Friday. The total number of accused arrested, so far, has risen to 12.

The accused, Mark alias Mahesh Khemlani, 44, has been remanded him to police custody till May 6. However, his advocate Pankaj Jadhav claimed, “Khemlani himself approached the police on Friday at around 2.30am and he was arrested in the morning. He is an NRI and operates an export-import business. He had arrived in India for business-related work.”

The police said that a lookout notice was issued in the accused's name and with the assistance of immigration officers, he was apprehended upon his return to Mumbai from Thailand. He was brought to the police station and formally arrested at 10.42am, said the officials. They added that he holds passports from multiple countries and has Hong Kong's citizenship. Here, he resides at the Lodha Casa Maxima building in Mira Road East.

Probe has revealed that Khemlani’s live-in partner Jiya Jacob had received Rs40 to Rs50 in her bank account that is suspected to be drug sale proceeds. The former allegedly supplied ecstasy pills to the other arrested accused and the money was routed to Jacob's account, as per the investigation. Khemlani’s advocate said he has no connection with this case and that not a single rupee (related to the drug trade) has been transferred into his account.

Seeking Khemlani’s custody for 15 days, the police told the court that they need to ascertain the source of the drugs, verify whether he operated a drug manufacturing unit or procured the contraband from elsewhere and also track the trail of funds received in Jacob’s account. Advocate Surendra Landge, Azad Gupta, and Ranjita Jain appeared for several accused in the case.

They further said that as Khemlani holds Hong Kong citizenship, the probe will also determine whether he is linked to an international drug racket. Officials said they are investigating where else in India he may have supplied ecstasy pills and are planning to conduct raids at his residence. However, the court granted a shorter custody.

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