Mumbai: Former Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni has been named as an accused in Rs 2,000-crore narcotics racket, which was unearthed in Maharashtra in April.
On April 16, Thane Crime Branch has seized 18,627 kg of ephedrine and 2.50 tonnes of acetic anhydride, both banned party drugs valued at more than Rs 2,000 crore in the international market, from a pharmaceutical factory in Solapur and other locations in Thane and Mumbai.
During investigation it was found that - apart from her Kenya-based husband Vicky Goswami - Mamta Kulkarni is also involved in the international drug racket.
The Drug Enforcement Administration in US has also submitted some evidence against Mamta Kulkarni.
Meanwhile, the former actress rubbished the charges and said, "It doesn't take three weeks to decide an accused. They searched all my accounts but could not find any evidences linked to the racket. Imagine, now they are accusing me of Rs 2000 crores drug racket. My account doesn't even have a decent Rs 1 crore. I don’t know what they are talking about."
She further said, "The commissioner of police, Thane, Paramvir Singh is pressurizing people to take our names. I am in consultation with my lawyers and will speak only after that."
Eight persons, including Nigerian Sipren Chinassa, have been arrested in what could be India's biggest drug haul. The Maharashtra and Gujarat police are on the lookout for at least four other people who are missing and reportedly on the run.
Chinassa led the police to other accused who include Manoj Jain, director of BSE-listed Avon Lifesciences Ltd., Punit Shringi, Pradeep Gill, Sagar Powale, Mayur Sukdhare, Dhaneshwar Swamy and Dnyaneshwar Dhimri.
The US Drug Enforcement Administration too has joined in the probe. The US agency met Thane police officials for details as Goswami is allegedly wanted in the United States.
In 2014, Vicky and Mamta were detained by Kenyan authorities on the charge of drug trafficking.
Goswami, 52, was earlier imprisoned for 25 years in the United Arab Emirates in 1997 for trafficking around 11.50 tonnes of Mandrax but was released in November 2012 on grounds of good conduct.
In 2013, he married Mamta Kulkarni, now 44.
The couple is reportedly based in Mombasa in Kenya.
During the 1990s, Mamta Kulkarni was paired with some of the top Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Kapoor, Atul Agnihotri and many more. She had participated in a TV show and bagged a Femina award too.
(With inputs from agencies)
Comments
0 comment