Pubdate: Thu, 08 Jun 2006
Source: Times of India, The (India)
Copyright: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 2006
Contact:  http://www.timesofindia.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/453

HIGH PROFILE PEOPLE ON DRUG PEDDLER'S LIST

NEW DELHI: Investigation into the sensational Rahul Mahajan drug 
abuse case has thrown up names of several high-profile designers, 
film personalities and businessmen who purchased narcotics regularly 
from peddlers now in police custody.

Sahil Zaroo, the son of a carpet dealer, was a regular on the party 
circuit in Mumbai and allegedly had a high-profile clientele for 
drugs. Rahul, the son of late BJP leader Pramod Mahahjan, had 
allegedly met Sahil at one such party, police sources said.

A team of Delhi Police officials led by Connaught Place Station House 
Officer Suresh Kaushik is camping in Mumbai to unravel the drug trail 
left by Sahil, who had also introduced Abdullah, a Nigerian drug 
peddler, to several people in Mumbai, the sources said.

"We are checking the contacts Sahil and Abdullah had in Mumbai," a 
senior police officer said.

Meanwhile, another team of Delhi Police officials has taken Sahil to 
Srinagar to check his antecedents there.

The interrogation of Abdullah revealed that he had allegedly supplied 
drugs through Sahil to a high-profile clientele in Mumbai.

The name of a Mumbai-based ramp model also cropped up during 
investigation. Analysis of Rahul's phone records show that he had 
called the ramp model minutes before he took seriously ill during the 
late Thursday night party.

Vivek Moitra, the late BJP leader's aide, died allegedly due to drug 
overdose after the party at Mahajan's residence here, the sources said.

Rahul was taken to his 7, Safdarjung Road residence, the venue of the 
party, to reconstruct the sequence of events that took place on Thursday night.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman