Pune City Police have arrested Bhushan Patil, the brother of drug racketeer Lalit Patil, in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, in connection with a drug-related case registered in Pune. Bhushan, who was also involved in the drug trade, has been named as a suspect by the police in the case.
Lalit Patil had escaped from Sassoon General Hospital, where he was receiving treatment during his jail term at Yerawada Central Jail. His escape occurred shortly after the police arrested an individual for drug trafficking outside Sassoon Hospital, revealing Lalit Patil's alleged involvement in running the drug racket from the hospital.
Rs 300 crore drug bust in Nashik
Earlier, the Mumbai police had conducted a raid on the drug manufacturing factory operated by Lalit and Bhushan in Nashik. The raid resulted in the seizure of drugs worth approximately Rs 300 crore.
Pune Police have taken Bhushan Patil into custody, and he is being transported to the city. However, Lalit Patil remains at large.
The chain of events began when police discovered narcotics valued at ₹2 crore near the entrance of Sassoon Hospital. Further investigations revealed that Lalit Patil, an inmate of Yerwada Jail, had been involved in drug smuggling while receiving treatment at Sassoon Hospital. Patil managed to escape from the hospital's treatment room with the assistance of a car driver on October 2.
Lalit Patil was one of the individuals detained in the extensive mephedrone drug operation in Chakan, which the Pimpri-Chinchwad police dismantled in October 2020. While initially incarcerated at Yerwada Central Prison, he required medical attention in June of this year, leading to his admission to Sassoon Hospital.