Mamta Kulkarni, husband Vicky Goswami declared ‘absconding’ in Rs2,500 crore drug case

The Thane Sessions Court declared former actress Mamta Kulkarni and husband Vicky Goswami as absconding in the Rs2,500-crore drug haul case on Tuesday. Judge HM Patwardhan also termed both of them as ‘proclaimed offenders.’ 

In the next hearing, the court will also issue a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against the two. It is also most likely of the court to seize a couple of properties in Andheri (Mumbai) belonging to Kulkarni. 

The crime branch had conducted a raid at the Solapur unit of Avon Lifesciences on 18 April 2016 and had seized Ephedrine, which is used to produce the party drug methamphetamine. They had booked its director Manoj Jain, Kulkarni, Goswami and 14 other people for producing and smuggling drugs. 

In January this year, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) succeeded in extraditing Goswami from Kenya. Later on in March, non-bailable warrants were issued against Goswami and Kulkarni by the Thane Sessions Court. 

Shishir Hiray, the special public prosecutor, told a daily, “We have enough evidence to prove that Kulkarni and her husband Goswami were directly involved in producing and smuggling drugs. Moreover the police have also taken the statements of neighbhours in Andheri which is the last known address of Kulkarni.” 

Speaking about the seizing of properties, he added, “We are putting forward the case in front of the court to issue a Red Corner Notice against the duo and permission to attach their properties in Andheri. We are yet to verify if Vicky has properties in Gujarat.” 

A police officer, on the condition of anonymity, revealed to the daily that Kulkarni will most likely be arrested soon. “After the arrest of Goswami by DEA, Kulkarni has fled from Kenya and after the court directs to issue a Red Corner Notice against Kulkarni we will extradite her for the formal arrest and interrogations,” he said. 

In an interview in July last year, which had gone viral, Kulkarni had announced that she would kill herself and might kill Goswami too if they get involved in a drug scandal. “When I have given away the most animalistic desire, which is sex, can drugs tantalise me to do something wrong in life? I will kill myself instead. And if I come to know that Vicky is after drugs, then maybe I will kill him too,” she had said.