Mamta Kulkarni bank accounts frozen in connection with drug abuse case

At least eight bank accounts have been frozen by Thane police with over Rs 90 lakh, of former film actress Mamta Kulkarni in Gujarat, Mumbai and some other areas in connection with the multi-crore ephedrine racket.

The former actress has already been named as a prime accused in the case linked to international drug lord and her partner Vicky Goswami.

According to a senior police official, all the eight bank accounts were frozen this week as part of the probe in the case, as her properties and bank accounts are suspected to have helped the drug cartel.

According to police Kulkarni held a sum of Rs 67 lakh (in foreign currency) in a single account with a private bank in Malad. The rest--Rs 26 lakhs-- were stowed away in seven other seized bank accounts at Kalyan, Badlapur (in Thane), Parel, Nariman Point, Dharavi, Rajkot and Bhuj (in Gujarat).

Sleuths are also questioning elder sister of Kulkarni and others who dealt with the bank payments, he said. Police have also approached authorities to get details of properties owned by the accused and are expected to attach it.

Earlier Police had stated that Kulkarni who had a significant role to play in the racket attended crucial meetings at Kenya and Dubai, where drug deals were struck and the modalities for logistics were finalised. This entire drug racket first came to light when Thane Police arrested a Nigerian national in a drug case on April 12.