A suspect wanted by Mumbai police in connection with the supply of Ecstasy pills at a music concert in Goregaon, which resulted in the deaths of two MBA students, has reportedly fled to Thailand and has not returned since the incident. Police have contacted him via phone and requested him to return to Mumbai for questioning.
Arrest of Close Associate
His close associate, Jiya Jacob (33), a Mira Road resident and artist by profession, was arrested on Wednesday after police discovered financial transactions between her and four other arrested accused. The police are investigating the flow of money linked to the drug supply.
Details of the Incident
A 28-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman, part of a group of 25 MBA students attending a concert at an exhibition ground in Goregaon East, consumed Ecstasy pills and died a day later. Another 25-year-old female student, who was critical after consuming the drug, received treatment and has since returned home.
Recovery of Pills
Late on Wednesday, police recovered 933 pills weighing 435 grams, valued at Rs 15.4 lakh, from Poladpur in Raigad. The prime accused, Ayush Sahitya, had attempted to dispose of the pills before his arrest. Sahitya was fleeing to Goa in a car with friends when a Poladpur police team apprehended him during a nakabandi on April 17. Sahitya has a prior criminal case registered against him at another police station.
Court Proceedings
Sahitya and his co-accused—Anand Patel, Shubh Agarwal, Vineet Gerelani, and Jacob—were produced before a magistrate court in Borivli. Jacob was remanded to police custody until Monday, while the four men were sent to judicial custody.
Financial Transactions Under Scrutiny
An analysis of bank statements by police revealed that the four male accused sent money to Jacob on the instructions of an individual named Mark. Patel transferred Rs 64,000, Gerelani sent Rs 22,500, Agrawal transferred around Rs 1.7 lakh, and Sahitya sent the maximum amount of Rs 1.8 lakh. The money was sent online via a QR code. Police have also recovered WhatsApp chats between Jacob and Sahitya regarding money transfers and suspect the funds were proceeds from drug sales.
Ongoing Investigation
Police confirmed that Jacob and Sahitya were acquainted and are investigating when and where they first met. Additionally, authorities will question all individuals who made financial transactions with Patel, Gerelani, Agrawal, and Sahitya before and after the concert. Patel's lawyers, Azad Gupta and Surendra Landge, stated that no drugs were recovered from their client.
