MUMBAI: A special court under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on Monday granted the Mumbai Police Crime Branch 30 more days to complete investigating a mephedrone (MD) manufacturing and distribution racket operating from rural parts of Satara district. The agency now has time until April 6 to file its charge sheet.
The case began when in December 2025, the crime branch had busted the alleged factory and seized synthetic drugs and raw materials worth nearly ₹115 crore. Special Judge N R Pradhan noted that two accused were arrested on December 9, 2025, and five others on December 13. Under the law, the police are required to file a charge sheet within 90 days of arrest. In this case, the deadlines were set to expire on March 8 and March 12. However, the investigating officer sought an additional 30 days to complete the probe and submit the final report.
After reviewing a progress report submitted by Special Public Prosecutor Jaysing Desai, the court noted that the case involved recovery of “commercial quantity narcotic substance”. Referring to Section 36A(4) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act), which allows courts to extend the investigation period up to 180 days in cases involving commercial quantities of drugs, the judge held that “there is no hurdle in extending the period.”
The court held that given the seriousness of the offence and the stage of the investigation, additional time was necessary, and accordingly extended the investigation period till April 6.
The case stems from a large-scale synthetic drug manufacturing and distribution racket uncovered in Satara district. According to the police, the investigation began when an officer from the crime branch apprehended two persons in Mulund and recovered 136 grams of MD from them.
The duo were arrested, and when questioned, the accused allegedly told police that the drugs had been sourced from a hotel in Pune. Based on this lead, the crime branch formed two teams. One team arrested another suspect from Ghodbunder Road in Thane, while the other went to Pune and apprehended an additional accused.
The police said that during further interrogation, one of the accused revealed that associates were manufacturing the contraband in Satara district. This led investigators to uncover what they described as a larger production and distribution network spanning multiple districts.