Drugs seizure case: constable gets police custody till April 1

A local court today remanded in police custody the police constable in connection with the recovery of 12 kilograms of mephedrone drug from his cupboard inside his police station in the city.
"The accused constable Dharmaraj Kalokhe has been remanded in police custody till April 1," public prosecutor Wajid Sheikh said.
Sheikh said that the police sought his custody on the ground that they want to know from where he sourced the drug and who were the intended recipients.
"We also sought his custody saying that we want to unearth the entire nexus of the cartel," Sheikh told PTI.
Meanwhile, Kalokhe's lawyer told the court that there was a possibility of the accused being tortured in the custody to shield a senior IPS officer and some Customs officials who were also involved in the case.

Kalokhe's lawyer also moved an application saying that the accused should be interrogated in the presence of his lawyers and also be allowed to speak to them. Sheikh said that the application will be heard on March 27.

Head Constable Kalokhe, posted at Marine Drive police station, was arrested on March 9 after 110 kg of mephedrone drug, whose market value police claim runs into crores of rupees, was seized from his residence in a village under Khandala taluka in Satara district.
The next day, 12 kg of mephedrone was seized from Kalokhe's locked cupboard at the Marine Drive police station here, along with Rs 30,000 cash.

The procedure to dismiss the constable from service is also underway.
An FIR was registered against Kalokhe at Marine Drive police station under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. One kg of mephedrone, popularly known as meow-meow and M-Cat, costs Rs 20 lakh.