War of words erupts in Maharashtra over drug kingpin Lalit Patil's alleged political connections

A war of words has erupted between prominent political figures in Maharashtra as Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut responded to allegations made by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding alleged links between the previous Uddhav Thackeray government and Lalit Patil, a notorious drug kingpin.

Fadnavis's Accusations

On Friday, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accused the Uddhav Thackeray government of aiding drug kingpin Lalit Patil, who was arrested on Tuesday after escaping from Pune's Sassoon General Hospital on October 2. Fadnavis contended that during the Thackeray administration's tenure, the public prosecutor did not oppose Lalit Patil's hospital stay, and that Patil was appointed as Nashik District Chief of Shiv Sena by Uddhav Thackeray.

Sanjay Raut's Response

In response to these accusations, Sanjay Raut called on Devendra Fadnavis to "strengthen his intelligence" and cautioned of a potential "Hamas-like" situation.

Raut said, "Tell Fadnavis (Devendra Fadnavis) to strengthen his intelligence, otherwise there will be a 'Hamas-like' situation".

"...This man (Lalit Patil) has no relation with Shiv Sena. There is a man called Dadaji Bhuse in your cabinet. He had brought that man into Shiv Sena and called him his 'khaas aadmi'. He had said that the man was going to BJP but he brought him here...He never became a member of the Shiv Sena", Raut said while speaking to the media in Mumbai.

"Tell Fadnavis to strengthen his Intelligence otherwise, there will be a 'Hamas-like' situation. Even Israel thought its Intelligence was strong...You too think that your Intelligence is strong but you don't know what goes on behind your back..." he added.

Lalit Patil and the Mephedrone Racket

Lalit Patil was reportedly behind a multi-crore mephedrone (a synthetic drug) racket that was exposed by the Pimpri-Chinchwad police in 2020. His arrest, according to Devendra Fadnavis, is expected to unveil a "big nexus" within the state. Lalit Patil was apprehended in Chennai on Tuesday night.

In a related development, two women from Nashik were arrested by the Pune Police on Thursday in connection with the Lalit Patil drug mafia case. The women were presented before the Pune Sessions Court, which ordered them into police custody until October 23. This marked a significant step in the ongoing investigation into the drug racket.

The allegations and counter-allegations between political figures have added intrigue to an already complex case, highlighting the need for a thorough and impartial investigation into the matter.