Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
The high-profile Mylan Pharma waste-to-drugs racket has hit a dead end barely 10 days after it came to light. Despite multiple arrests and a high-stakes police investigation, no fresh leads have emerged. On Wednesday, all arrested accused were remanded to Harsul jail, stalling further action.
The police have not identified any new accused nor traced the larger network behind the mephedrone (MD) production racket, raising doubts about the seriousness of the probe.
Racket busted, but investigation stalls
On June 21, NDPS team inspector Geeta Bagwade intercepted two trucks near Sajapur, transporting hazardous chemical waste from Mylan Pharmaceuticals. The contents barrels, plastic bags, and chemical powder were allegedly being processed into synthetic drugs at a godown run by scrap dealer Baban Khan. Khan, his sons Kaleem and Salim, and two drivers were arrested on June 25. EHS head at Mylan Kishor Pawar (54), was also arrested for failing to monitor waste disposal on June 29. But after seven days of custody, police admitted they failed to extract critical information, including:
• Who bought the mephedrone chemicals?
• How were payments routed?
• What do the frozen bank accounts reveal?
MPCB remains tight-lipped
Although industries are strictly regulated for hazardous waste disposal, Mylan’s violations were evident. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) did inspect the firm, but has not disclosed what action, if any, was taken. The silence has cast serious doubts on MPCB’s credibility and raised suspicion of inaction. Despite the magnitude of the case and its potential link to the larger synthetic drug network, the probe now appears stalled with no clarity on financial trails or main buyers.