The special court for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act cases here today extended the remand of a police constable, from whose cupboard at police station drugs had been recovered, to April 7.
"Police custody is being given to cover vital aspects in the investigation," said judge U B Hejib while remanding Dharmaraj Kalokhe, the accused, to further police custody.
The police told the court that he had a relationship with the absconding co-accused Baby Patankar since 1996. The duo visited many places in Maharashtra together and Kalokhe was aware of Patankar's whereabouts or her hide-outs but he was not cooperating with the probe.
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The police also said that Patankar and Kalokhe had brought a huge quantity of drug to Mumbai from Malwali but he was not revealing where it was hidden and the deals struck for its sale.
A massive manhunt had been launched for Patankar but people were afraid to come forward to give information about her, police said.
Kalokhe's lawyer Naveen Chomal said the case should not have been filed in Mumbai as it was connected with alleged drug seizure case in Satara district. The second case here was registered only to keep him away so that he did not reveal the involvement of senior police officials, Chomal alleged.
Chomal rubbished police's case that drugs were kept (and found) in Kalokhe's cupboard in the police station, and said there was no CCTV footage which shows the drug being brought into the police station.
Head constable Kalokhe, posted at Marine Drive station here, was arrested on March 9 after 110 kg of mephedrone, with market value of crores of rupees, was seized from his house in his native village in Khandala tehsil of Satara district.
The next day, 12 kg of mephedrone was seized from Kalokhe's locked cupboard at the Marine Drive police station along with Rs 30,000 cash.
