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  Ephedrine case: Cops file fourth chargesheet

Ephedrine case: Cops file fourth chargesheet

AGE CORRESPONDENT
Published : Oct 20, 2016, 7:00 am IST
Updated : Oct 20, 2016, 7:00 am IST

The Thane police on Wednesday filed its fourth chargesheet in its probe related to the seizure in April this year of ephedrine worth Rs 2000 crore in Solapur, naming as accused a narcotic-trafficking

The Thane police on Wednesday filed its fourth chargesheet in its probe related to the seizure in April this year of ephedrine worth Rs 2000 crore in Solapur, naming as accused a narcotic-trafficking syndicate’s alleged distributors, Sushil Assikanan and Nigerian national Mob Christian. Christian had signed a contract for the drug’s supply in India with two key case accused, Manoj Jain, who is in judicial custody, and Vicky Goswami, who is absconding.

The police had earlier chargesheeted Jain, Goswami and the latter’s ‘friend’, former Bollywood actress Mamata Kulkarni. Jain and Kulkarni had in the past labelled the police’s allegations as baseless. Ephedrine’s sale is banned in India and it is used as a precursor chemical to make proscribed narcotic Methamphetamine.

The Thane police have arrested 12 accused in the case so far. In August, the police were able to arrest Shushil Assikanan, the key supplier, from Bangalore while he was planning to flee to Dubai. “Assikanan had supplied 180 kg of ephedrine here in the past. We have mentioned Assikanan’s business details in the chargsheet, apart from evidence against him that shows how he was directly connected with the main accused,” said a police officer.