Pune: The trial of a case registered at Chakan police station in connection with the drug manufacturing case against drug smuggler Lalit Patil has begun in a Khed court.

The crime branch's anti-narcotics squad had seized 20 kg of mephedrone (MD) in Khed taluka on October 7, 2020. A total of 22 people, including Lalit Patil, were arrested in connection with the case.

Twenty-two people, including Lalit Patil, have been booked in the case and a chargesheet was filed against them in October. Eight of them have been granted bail by the Bombay High Court while the rest are still in judicial custody in Yerawada jail.

During the trial, the prosecution recorded the testimony of the complainant police officer Shakir Gosuddin Kennedy.

Pimpri-Chinchwad police had seized 20 kg of mephedrone from a car. This led to the busting of a major drug manufacturing and smuggling racket.

During investigation, it was found that the accused had prepared 132 kg of mephedrone at a company in Ranjangaon and 10-15 kg at Mahad in Raigad district.

A total of 22 people, including Lalit Patil, were arrested in connection with the case. In the same case, Lalit Patil was found to be smuggling drugs while undergoing treatment at Sassoon Hospital.

The Bombay High Court had last month granted bail to eight accused for not chemically analysing the samples seized by the police and submitted to the court in a forensic laboratory and did not comply with the provisions of the Narcotics Prevention Act (NDPS).

Next hearing on November 27

How did the mephedrone catch take place? Special public prosecutor in the case, Shishir Hiray, said Kennedy testified about the events of the operation, including which defendants were taken into custody at the time. The next hearing is scheduled for November 27.