Nashik (Maharashtra): Telangana Police have arrested former Shiv Sena Shinde faction leader Lakshmi Tathe and her son Vikar Tathe from Nashik's Panchvati area in a ganja smuggling case. The arrest follows after the seizure of 190 kilograms of ganja on June 8 from an undisclosed place which falls under Telangana's Damera Police Station area limits, where cops carried out an extensive investigation to uncover ganja cartel's link with Tathe.
Authorities disclosed that Telangana's Anti-Narcotics Squad has previously apprehended two ganja smugglers from Ahmednagar and Beed in Maharashtra as part of the same case. Further inquiries led the police to Tathe, who was linked to the smuggling operation.
This is not the first time Tathe has faced allegations related to drug trafficking. In 2018 and 2019, the Nashik Crime Branch had arrested her and other suspects after seizing 690 Kg of ganja worth Rs 34 lakh 50 thousand from a suspicious godown on Aurangabad Road, which officials confirmed belonged to Tathe. Among those arrested previously were Tathe's son-in-law suspect Sumit Borale and his associate Suresh Mahale.
In response to the recent developments, leaders of the Shiv Sena Shinde faction clarified that Tathe had been expelled from the party and denied any ongoing association with her. They emphasised their commitment to cooperating with law enforcement agencies in the investigation.
The arrest of Lakshmi Tathe and her son underscores ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat drug trafficking across state borders, highlighting Telangana Police's proactive measures in cracking down on organised crime networks involved in narcotics smuggling.
