Rohini Khadse questioned by Pune police in alleged house party case
Officials from the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Pune city police confirmed that a notice had been issued to Khadse, following which she appeared before the investigators on Monday
The Pune Police on Sunday questioned Rohini Khadse, president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) women’s wing and daughter of senior leader Eknath Khadse, in connection with the alleged house drug party case.
Officials from the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Pune city police confirmed that a notice had been issued to Khadse, following which she appeared before the investigators on Monday. She was questioned for nearly one and a half hours, and her statement was recorded.
Rohini said, “I have answered all the questions asked of me. It is not appropriate to reveal details of the police questioning as the matter is sub judice. We have fully cooperated with the police.”
Khadse maintained that her husband, Pranjal Khewalkar, one of the accused, never consumed narcotic substances. “He is innocent, and this will come out during the judicial process,” she said.
Though Khewalkar has been granted bail, the investigation has taken a complex turn. According to police sources, a mobile phone used by him contained a SIM card registered in another person’s name. Investigators suspect that someone used a duplicate SIM card to activate WhatsApp on another handset and later deleted data related to the case.
Suspecting Khadse’s possible role in evidence tampering, the Pune Police had earlier issued her a notice, prompting her appearance before the ANC for questioning and a written statement.
The forensic science laboratory (FSL) blood reports revealed that none of the seven accused, including Khewalkar, had consumed narcotic substances.
On July 27, police raided room number 102 of StayBird Azure Suites in Pune’s Kharadi area and seized 2.70 grams of a cocaine-like substance, 70 grams of a ganja-like substance, 10 mobile phones, two four-wheelers, a hookah set, liquor and beer bottles, and various hookah flavour products — collectively valued at ₹41.35 lakh.
Khewalkar and six others present at the location were arrested for alleged possession and consumption of drugs.
