The probe into the deaths of two MBA students from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai has gathered pace with Vanrai Police taking a 10th suspect into custody. The case, linked to a suspected drug overdose at a techno music concert held at the NESCO Exhibition Centre on April 11, has exposed an alleged nexus of drug suppliers along with glaring security lapses at the event.
Survivor's statement to police
Sheetal Salvi, 24, who was released from hospital on Tuesday, has told investigators that her classmate, Raunak Khandelwal, distributed “yellow ecstacy pills” to the group.
Officials probing the case said Salvi's life was likely spared because she vomited soon after consuming the pill.
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According to a report in The Indian Express, Shreya Rai and Sheetal Salvi were second-year MBA classmates at the well-known institute in South Mumbai. They attended the concert along with a group of 19 friends.
Both students are said to have felt dizzy while dancing in the crowd. They were first taken to a trauma unit in the early hours of April 12 and later transferred to Bombay Hospital as their condition worsened. Rai was pronounced dead later that afternoon, while Salvi survived.
A third victim, Bismat Singh Amarjit Singh Bhasin, 28, who was not linked to the student group is said to have been drinking and dancing before suddenly falling ill. He was admitted to Lifeline Medicare Hospital, where he later succumbed. Officers believe he may have taken pills in addition to alcohol. Samples have been sent for forensic examination, with the final cause of death still awaited.
How drug racket operated
Vanrai Police have filed a case under sections relating to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, as well as under the Maharashtra Prohibition Act and the NDPS Act.
The remand papers indicate the alleged drug racket extended to several students from the prominent south Mumbai business school, who are believed to have exploited their campus networks to distribute narcotics within their own circles.
Police allege Prateek Pandey, a 24-year-old MBA student, was the main conduit for procuring the drugs. After hearing about the event at the NESCO Exhibition Centre, he is said to have ordered 21 ecstasy tablets through his associate, Anand Patel, with the consignment delivered to his hostel in south Mumbai.
Meanwhile, Raunak Khandelwal, 25, allegedly handed out the pills to his classmates at the concert, including Sheetal Salvi and Shreya Rai.
The remand plea names Ayush Sahitya, 24, a resident of Ulhasnagar, as the suspected main supplier in the case. Authorities allege he operated alongside Vineet Garelani, 22, a recent graduate from a well-known south Mumbai college, with digital payment trails via UPI said to document their transactions.
A police search of Garelani's residence led to the seizure of five 'Mercedes' ecstasy pills. His advocate, Azad Gupta, pushed back against the allegations, saying the evidence did not conclusively prove his client's role in supplying drugs and that the forensic report would be key. He added that UPI transfers cited by investigators do not establish links to any syndicate, describing them instead as personal transactions involving Sahitya.
According to investigators, Anand Laxman Patel, 24, from Kalyan's Khadakpada area, played a central role in bridging the gap between suppliers and student buyers. The remand application notes that his close ties with Pandey led to him being approached to facilitate the order.
Investigators claim once the pills were sourced through the Sahitya–Garelani link, Patel handed them to Shubh Agarwal to complete the delivery. The 22-year-old, a management student in Andheri who also lived in Kalyan, allegedly delivered 21 ecstasy pills to Pandey's south Mumbai hostel. He is currently in custody until April 20.
Security Lapses Under Scrutiny
According to police, all four accused—Sahitya, Garelani, Patel and Agarwal—attended the concert at the NESCO Exhibition Centre without valid passes.
The Indian Express report states a critical security lapse may have enabled supply of drugs at the concert. A guard at the NESCO centre, Pradip Gupta, has been arrested for accepting bribes to let the drug dealers enter unchecked.
Gupta remains under interrogation as police try to determine if additional staff from his security agency were involved or aware of the alleged misconduct. Meanwhile, NESCO said it has a firm zero-tolerance stance on drugs and rejected suggestions of any security failure.
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