On Wednesday, Nana Patole, the head of the Maharashtra Congress, referred to Lalit Patil as a “pawn” and questioned who was “protecting” him.
More than two weeks after he fled from the government-run Sassoon hospital in Pune, Patil—the key suspect in a mephedrone seizure case worth Rs 300 crore—was apprehended in Bengaluru on Tuesday night.
Speaking to media in this city, Patole said that Maharashtra’s reputation was being tarnished by the “BJP government” there.
“In the previous several days, a significant amount of narcotics have been recovered in the state. Such a huge drug trade need governmental support to function. Who is the mastermind when Lalit Patil is only a pawn?” he posed.
In a statement thanking the Mumbai police for apprehending him, Patole said that Patil had been using “all facilities” while a patient there.
“We had previously said that precautions were being taken to keep him safe. Lalit Patil has now acknowledged that he was shielded.Who is funding the drug trade and individuals like Lalit Patil, the Congress leader questioned.
The young of the state are being drawn into the drug trade even as unemployment is on the rise and government positions go unfilled, according to Patole.