The Dharashiv district police arrested Santosh Kadam, former president of the Tuljapur municipal council and a political party office-bearer, in connection with the Tuljapur drug trafficking case. The case surfaced on February 14 when three individuals were arrested from Tamalwadi village with 45 grams of MD drugs.
Following the initial arrests, police seized synthetic drugs worth Rs 2.5 lakh on February 15, uncovering a drug trafficking network stretching across Solapur, Naldurg, Pune, and Mumbai. Among the prime suspects is a priest from the Tuljabhavani temple, involved as a key peddler in the case.
Currently, the case lists 38 accused individuals, with 22 in custody and 16 still absconding, including several prominent figures who have been evading arrest for two months.
Dharashiv Superintendent of Police Ritu Khokar stated, “Kadam was named in the chargesheet previously filed in connection with this case, but he remained at large until his arrest late Sunday night in Akluj, Solapur district.”
Additionally, Tamalwadi police arrested Jeevan Salunke, a political party worker from Solapur, related to the case. Sub-divisional police officer Nilesh Deshmukh, leading the investigation, confirmed that Kadam was produced before the court on Monday and remanded to 10 days’ police custody for further investigation.
