Special Correspondent
Pune: In a major crackdown on a high-profile rave party in Pune, the police have detained former Maharashtra minister Eknath Khadse’s son-in-law Pranjal Khewalkar along with notorious bookie Nikhil Popat and five others. The raid, conducted around 3:30 AM in a flat located behind the Radisson Hotel in the upscale Kharadi area, revealed the presence of banned narcotics, alcohol, and hookahs.
During the police action, three women managed to escape, and it is suspected they may have been call girls, raising further questions about the nature of the event. Police sources suspect that five men and five women were part of the party, of whom only two women and five men were caught at the scene.
The rave party was allegedly being hosted in a rented flat, booked online. Police say that three separate flats were rented for one night, and the escaped women might have been hiding in the other two flats. The flat where the party was ongoing reportedly had Pranjal Khewalkar — husband of NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Rohini Khadse — along with other attendees.
The police have recovered drugs, cannabis, alcohol, and hookah setups from the flat. All detained individuals were taken to Sassoon Hospital for medical tests. The Pune Police Crime Branch had received a tip-off about the party and subsequently carried out the raid.
An official case has been registered against all seven accused. Meanwhile, police have launched a manhunt for the three women who escaped, and investigations are underway to uncover the entire network behind this alleged rave-and-call girl operation.
