₹2,000cr drug case that kept Mamta Kulkarni away from India
Popular Bollywood actor Mamta Kulkarni, who featured in films like Karan Arjun and Sabse Bada Khiladi, returned to India after 25 years recently. Her return comes after the Bombay High Court gave her a clean chit in a ₹2,000cr drug case. The court observed that the proceedings against her were "manifestly frivolous and vexatious." On reaching, she shared an emotional video on Instagram about being back home.
Kulkarni's emotional homecoming after a long absence
In the video, Kulkarni shared her feelings as she saw India from above for the first time in 24 years (she had left in 2000). She got teary-eyed when stepping out of Mumbai's international airport, overwhelmed by her return. The post was captioned, "BACK TO MY MOTHERLAND AFTER 25 YEARS ATTENDED KUMBH MELA 2012 AFTER 12 YEARS AUSTERITY AND COME BACK EXACTLY AFTER 12 YEARS FOR ANOTHER MAHA KUMBH 2025 (sic)."
Details of the drug case involving Kulkarni
The case dates back to April 2016 when Thane Police arrested two men for alleged possession of one kilogram of ephedrine, a narcotic substance. After a preliminary investigation, 10 more people, including Kulkarni, were charged. The prosecution alleged that Kulkarni and other co-accused had conspired in January 2016 at a hotel in Kenya for the sale and purchase of narcotic substances. She was accused of being involved in running the ₹2,000cr drug cartel.
Court's verdict on Kulkarni's involvement in the drug case
The division bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande said the material collected against Kulkarni doesn't prima facie constitute any offense. The court also observed the evidence was inadequate to sustain charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. "Mere presence of the petitioner (Kulkarni) in one of the meetings...would definitely not be sufficient for sustaining conviction under the provisions invoked in the chargesheet," said the bench.
