On Wednesday, the Shiv Sena, Maharashtra`s ruling party, raised concerns about NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) leaders Supriya Sule and Jitendra Awhad, suggesting their connection to an individual whose name purportedly emerged in a drug case investigation, stated a report in PTI. The party presented a photo showing the two opposition members alongside the individual in question during a news conference in Mumbai.

During the press briefing, Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande, according to the report, called upon the two NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) leaders to address the matter transparently. Kayande indicated that the recent interrogation of Lalit Patil, a key accused in the drug case, who had previously escaped from a Pune hospital and has since been apprehended by the police, has revealed new names. One of the newly mentioned names was reportedly seen in the shared photo.

Kayande went on to claim that the man in question was found in possession of 54 grams of mephedrone (MD) during the drug case investigation. She raised questions regarding the involvement of Supriya Sule and Jitendra Awhad with an accused individual whose name emerged during the probe, given that they often make accusations against state ministers. She called for clarification from the two NCP leaders, the reporter added. 

Furthermore, Kayande asserted that it is the responsibility of the police to ascertain the nature of the individual`s associations.

At the time of reporting, there had been no immediate response from the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), Supriya Sule, or Jitendra Awhad regarding the Shiv Sena`s allegations.

In recent weeks, the opposition has criticised the Eknath Shinde government over the Lalit Patil case. Patil, aged 37, was apprehended in connection with a significant Rs 300-crore mephedrone drug bust conducted outside Sassoon Hospital. He had initially escaped from a Pune government hospital on October 2 but was subsequently arrested near Bengaluru last week.

Patil was nabbed by Pimpri-Chinchwad police for his involvement in large-scale mephedrone in 2020. He was transferred to Yerwada Central Prison after his arrest but due to health issues including hernia and tuberculosis, he was admitted to Pune`s Sassoon Hospital in June.

Recently, the Pune authorities apprehended Lalit Patil`s accomplice, Subhash Mandal, close to the hospital premises, with mephedrone weighing approximately 1.71 kgs, estimated to be worth around Rs 2.14 crore.

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