Amidst the uproar surrounding the hospitalization of drug accused Lalit Patil, who managed to escape from the hospital, a video has come to the forefront. CCTV footage from Hinjewadi Police Station, under the jurisdiction of Pimpri Chinchwad police, appears to suggest that Patil's purported fall down the stairs, which resulted in his nine-month hospitalisation at Sassoon Hospital, might have been a staged incident.
Lalit Patil, the 21st accused in a group of 22 individuals allegedly involved in the drug racket, was initially apprehended along with two drug sellers and three buyers at a dhaba in Shell Pipalgaon, Chakan area. Subsequent investigations revealed Patil as the alleged mastermind behind the operation. Consequently, he was presented in court and remanded to police custody for 14 days.
Just two days into the police inquiry, on December 12, 2020, Patil reportedly fell down the stairs at Hinjewadi Police Station. He was initially taken to Pune District Hospital in Sangvi but was subsequently transferred to Sassoon Hospital, where he received medical treatment for nearly nine months. During this period, he managed to evade the police but was eventually arrested by the Mumbai Police in Chennai.
The emergence of new CCTV footage raises doubts about Patil's earlier claims. The video shows Patil seemingly intentionally slipping while descending the stairs at the police station, contrary to his previous assertion of an accidental fall.
Custody to Patil till Oct 27
Mumbai's Andheri Court has extended 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.
