Pune: Seven Held In Kharadi Drug Party Bust Remanded To Police Custody Until July 29
Pune: Seven Held In Kharadi Drug Party Bust Remanded To Police Custody Until July 29 ( Representative Image )
Pune | July 28, 2025 – A Pune court has remanded seven individuals to police custody until July 29 in connection with a drug seizure during a suspected party at a serviced apartment in Kharadi. Among the arrested is Pranjal Khewalkar, the son-in-law of senior NCP (SP) leader Eknath Khadse.
Judicial Magistrate First Class NS Bari passed the remand order on Sunday after the accused were brought before the holiday court. Public Prosecutor Priyanka Vengurlekar requested seven days’ custody, stating that further interrogation was essential to uncover the drug supply network, investigate prior party incidents, and identify other potential suspects. She also highlighted that some of the accused have criminal records and that the case is still in its initial stages.
Vengurlekar emphasized that this was not a one-off incident and that the narcotics recovered—including 2.7 grams of cocaine, along with marijuana, liquor bottles, and hookah equipment—indicate serious violations under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Defence lawyer Vijaysinh Thombare, representing Khewalkar, argued that the case was politically motivated. He maintained that no medical evidence had been provided to prove drug use by his client and that this incident appears to be a deliberate attempt to tarnish his image, especially since Khewalkar’s wife holds a political position.
The prosecution stated that the party took place in an apartment booked under Khewalkar’s name. Seven people were present, including two women, and video clips from the party—which surfaced online—showed chaos and a woman appearing distressed.
Advocate Abid Mulani, representing two other accused, raised procedural objections, claiming that the arrest violated Section 50 of the Criminal Procedure Code since the grounds for detention weren’t communicated to the accused at the time. He also argued that his clients had neither used nor possessed any banned substances, challenging the application of the NDPS Act in their case.
While the court has yet to decide on the legality of the arrests, it agreed to the police’s request for continued custody. The matter is expected to come up for further hearing later this week.
