HC asks 'drug seller' to move trial court for return of assets

The Bombay High Court today refused to entertain a plea of Shashikala alias Baby Patankar, alleged drug lord from Worli, for return of her valuables seized from her house.
A bench headed by Justice Ranjit More said it would be appropriate for the petitioner to approach the trial court to seek this relief.
Patankar was arrested in April for her involvement in a case wherein huge quantities of the drug Mephedrone, popularly known as M-Cat, were seized from her alleged business partner, constable Dharmaraj Kalokhe.
Police alleged that Patankar sold the drugs.
She was later released on bail by a sessions court after laboratory reports revealed that the seized material was not contraband.

Patankar claimed in the petition that in the police raids 20 mobile phones, three cars, property documents, Rs 35,000 cash, bank documents etc. Were seized and no panchnama, for the same was drawn.

She alleged that the police also dismantled the CCTV cameras installed in her Worli house.
Patankar sought a direction to police to return and reinstall CCTV cameras. She also prayed for a direction to authorities to disclose to the court the measures taken by the police to ascertain and confirm whether seized substance is a "narcotic drug" or a "psychotropic substance" before arresting any person for offences punishable under the NDPS Act.

On March 9, Kalokhe was arrested by Satara police after they found 110 kgs of Mephedrone (M-Cat) allegedly at his Kanheri village residence. The next day 12 kgs of suspected contraband were found in Kalokhe's Marine Drive police station locker.
Following this, the then Mumbai Police chief Rakesh Maria had dismissed Kalokhe from service and transferred Pravin Chinchalkar, senior inspector of Marine Drive Police Station, to Special Branch.