Lawyer, her aide who helped drug racketeer flee held, Pune cops tell court

Punecitypolicetoldacourton Thursday that drug racketeer Lalit Anil Patil's escape from the Sassoon General Hospital was planned by two women and other accomplices along with him over the last “three to four months”.

Patil told mediapersons on Wednesday that he did not escape from Sassoon hospital in Puneonhisown, butwas“made to escape”. He was arrested by Mumbaipolicefromchennaion Tuesday night.

Around 5.10 pm on Wednesday, a team of Pune city police arrested two women, including a lawyer Pradnya Arun Kamble alias Pradnya Rohit Mahire (39) and Archana Kiran Nikam (33), both residents of Nashik, inconnectionwithpatil's escape on October 2.

Policesubmittedtothecourt that the two women and other accused in the case “conspired” for the last “three to four months” and planned Patil's escape from custody. Police said primary investigation revealed that after escaping, Patil had a meeting with Kamble and Nikam in Nashik on October 4 and October 5, where the womenallegedlygavehimrs25 lakh cash.

Police also submitted that the two women held meetings multipletimeswithpatilinpune beforehisescape. Policesuspect they allegedly planned his escape during these meetings. Police told the court that evidence is being gathered about the place where the meetings took place.

Police said Nikam had a meetingwithpatiljusttwodays beforehefledfromthehospital. Policehaveseized cellphones of Nikamandkambleandclaimed they were in contact with Patil. A probe is on to know whether more persons are involved in Patil's escape.

According to police, Kamble was a resident of Space Orion Societyinnashik, thesameplace wherepatilwasalsoresidingbefore he was arrested along with 21 others by Pimpri Chinchwad policefollowingtheseizureof20 kg of mephedrone worth Rs 20 crore from Chakan in October 2020.

Afterhisarrestinthechakan case, Patil was lodged in the Yerawadacentralprison, where he allegedly reported medical problemsfromtimetotimeand spentabout16monthsinhospital.

On September 30, police arrestedpatil'saidesubhashjanaki Mandalfromaspotnearsassoon hospital with over 1.71 kg of mephedrone estimated at Rs 2.14 crore.

Probe revealed that Patil, who was under treatment at wardnumber16ofsassoonhospital, allegedlysuppliedthecontrabandtomandalthroughhospitalcanteenworkerraufrahim Shaikh (19).

Police then seized two iphones, each worth Rs 1.1 lakh. from Patil during a search at the hospital ward.

An FIR was lodged against Patil, Mandal and Shaikh under the NDPS Act. While probe was on in this case, around 7.40 pm on October 2, Patil fled from Sassoon hospital, where he was admittedfortreatmenton“hernia” since June 3 this year.