Palanpur/Ahmedabad: A university gold medallist currently pursuing his PhD was among two persons arrested by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Banaskantha district on charges of trafficking mephedrone (MD), police said.
Arrest and Seizure
Acting on specific intelligence, SOG teams led by inspector DM Rathod and sub-inspector JJ Sarvaiya intercepted a Hyundai Aura near Kansari toll plaza under Deesa Rural police station limits late on Friday night and arrested professor Jogesh Thakor, 38, along with his associate Sahil Vaghela (Parmar). During the search, police recovered 16 grams of MD valued at Rs 48,000 along with mobile phones and cash. The total value of seized property, including the vehicle used in the offence, was estimated at Rs 5.78 lakh.
Background of the Accused
Police said Thakor is a highly qualified academic with an MA, a BEd, and an MPhil in Gujarati, and is a gold medallist from Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University (HNGU). He earlier worked as a professor for nearly seven years in a self-financed college in Deesa. He recently joined a college in Panthawada as faculty while simultaneously pursuing the final semester of his PhD.
Emotional Distress Claimed
However, investigators said his preliminary interrogation revealed a startling personal angle to the case. Officials said Thakor claimed he was under severe emotional distress due to not having a son, which led to depression and gradually pushed him into drug use. “He stated that this emotional stress led him to begin consuming MD about six months ago by mixing it with paan masala, which slowly developed into addiction,” a senior officer told TOI. From his first marriage of 21 years, Thakor has two daughters aged 18 and 13. He later entered into a second marriage two years ago.
The Addiction Trap
Once addicted, police said, he began sourcing MD through Vaghela, who initially supplied him a 1-gram packet for Rs 2,200. Thakor reportedly continued making repeated purchases thereafter. About three months ago, Vaghela allegedly told him he was facing financial pressure due to pending rickshaw instalments and asked Thakor to pay them in return for Rs 500 per day. The two began meeting regularly and consuming MD together, officials said.
Expanding the Network
Investigators further said Vaghela later introduced Thakor to a larger supply chain, claiming MD could be procured at Rs 1,500 per gram if purchased in bulk. Following this, the duo allegedly made multiple trips in Thakor’s Hyundai Aura car to a location beyond Malotra village on the Deesa-Dhanera highway to collect drugs. Police said on the day of arrest, the accused procured MD packets worth Rs 29,000 and were returning to Deesa when they were intercepted.
Ongoing Investigation
Officials added that further investigation is underway to trace the wider supply network and establish backward linkages based on names disclosed during interrogation.
