MUMBAI: In a new development in the ephedrine haul case of Solapur, the district court here on Tuesday issued non-bailable warrants against alleged international drug kingpin Vicky Goswami and his partner and former Bollywood actor Mamta Kulkarni.
The duo, who are believed to be outside India, had been named accused in the case after it was found that the ephedrine was being diverted to a Kenya-based drug cartel headed by Goswami to manufacture party drug Methamphetamine.
Thane police raided Avon Lifesciences in Solapur last year and seized around 18.5 tonne of ephedrine worth Rs 2,000 crore. The police have arrested more than 10 persons in the case.
On February 1 this year, Goswami, who had been earlier booked in cases related to drugs, was deported by the Kenyan drug enforcement agency to the USA along with three associates. Among the associates were Kenyans Ibrahim and Baktash Akasha, sons of a slain drug baron, and Gulam Hussein from Pakistan. They had allegedly tried to import ‘white crystal’ heroin into the US. They had been arrested by Kenyan police at Mombassa in 2014 and were released on bail till a decision was taken about their extradition to the US.
Mamta Kulkarni, a popular Bollywood actor of the 90s, is believed to be married to Goswami, and has been accused of helping him run the drug racket. Vicky Goswami was a small bootlegger in Ahmedabad who hit gold after he met Bipin Panchal, a big fish in the narcotics business at that time. They started supplying the drug Mandrax in Ahmedabad.
After Panchal’s arrest, Goswami move on to Mumbai where he became a big name in the party circuit there. His connections eventually led him to Bollywood and he allegedly became a supplier for movie stars. It was during this time, it is believed, that he came in touch with Mamta Kulkarni.
As their relationship progressed, Mandrax became a rage in Mumbai and Goswami capitalised on it. But, he was quick to realize that the highest demand for the drug was in Africa.