Mamta Kulkarni, husband under scanner in drug case

Former Bollywood actor Mamta Kulkarni and her husband Vicky Goswami have come under the scanner of the police and drug enforcement agencies.

The duo is being probed for the sensational Rs 2,000-crore drug bust in Thane city, which had international repercussions and links to big foreign cartels. A few days ago, the Thane police conducted raids and seized 18.5 tonne of Ephedrine and 2.5 tonne of acetic anhydride totally valued at over Rs 2,000 crore in the international market.

So far, the police have arrested eight people including a Nigerian national. Avon Lifesciences Ltd, that manufactured these drugs, is also under scanner.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration has joined the investigations and the probe has been widened. Vijaygiri Anadgiri Goswami aka Vicky Goswami alias Vijay Goswami Vicky faces an Interpol notice and reportedly does not move out of Kenya. Latest reports said that both Vicky and Mamta are in Kenya and are underground.

“This is an international racket and Vicky Goswami is the main link to it. As for Mamta Kulkarni, we are probing her role. In the past she had come under the scanner of DEA and she was detained for a while as well,” Thane Police Commissioner Parambir Singh said.

Among those arrested so far include Manoj Jain, a director of Avon Lifesciences Ltd. Others arrested include Punit Shring, who was part of the same company and Hardipsingh Gill, who used to help the duo transfer the product from one place to another. The company has a licence to manufacture ephedrine, but it used to hide the actual quantity of manufactured ephedrine and also sent it to other places that would make drugs out of it.

Thane Police officials said that Jain was in touch with Goswami and they collaborating with each other and planning to send across huge consignements of the contraband to the United States.

On Thursday, Singh briefed Director General of Police Pravin Dixit about the ongoing investigations and the future course of action. Officials of the US DEA too were present.
Singh said: “During the investigations, it has emerged that some of the accused had been regularly visiting African countries. They had visited Kenya and met Goswami. He was under the scanner of DEA. Our investigations match with that of the DEA.”

Asked specifically about Mamta Kulkarni, he said that she was also under the scanner of the DEA. “We are carrying out investigations,” he said.