Show cause notice to ketamine manufacturing unit owner in Goa

The Goa State Industrial Development Corporation on Tuesday issued a show cause notice to Vasudev Parab, whose industrial unit at the Pissurlem industrial estate was raided last week by the DRI officials.

During the raid, the DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) officials had seized more than 100 kg of banned ketamine drug, from the premises.

"We have asked him why his industrial plot should not be taken back, because media reports have said that a DRI raid had seized ketamine being manufactured there," the Corporation's chairperson and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Glenn Ticlo told reporters on Tuesday.

The show cause notice comes a day after Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had ruled out a state government probe into the ketamine racket being allegedly operated from Parab's shed at the industrial estate located in North Goa's Bicholim sub district.

Since the raid, the industrial shed has been sealed by DRI sleuths.

Ticlo also said Parab had been given seven days to respond to the notice.

In a three-day operation code-named 'Operation Vitamin', the DRI last week busted an international drug syndicate, seizing 308 kg ketamine, two tonnes of raw material at various sites in Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat, arresting 10 persons including two from UK and one from Vietnam.

Used as a tranquiliser for veterinary purpose, ketamine is a common party drug and is known for its hallucinating effects.

While the Congress has claimed that Parab is a North Goa BJP office bearer, the ruling BJP has rejected the allegation.

--IANS

maya/pgh/vm