Karnataka police issue notice to 40 models including foreigners in drugs case

Bengaluru, June 21: Karnataka police have intensified investigations into the drugs case involving Siddhanth Kapoor, the son of actor Shakti Kapoor.

Notices have been served to foreign and Indian models who participated in the rave party organised in a luxury Bengaluru hotel with Siddhanth Kapoor in connection with use and consumption of drugs.

According to police, 150 models and celebrities attended the rave party and notices have been issued to 40 foreign and Indian models. They have been asked to appear for the investigation within a week.

Six female models have already appeared for the investigations and got their statements recorded. The transactions and connections of models and celebrities are found to be suspicious and is being probed, sources say.

The probe has revealed that the foreign nationals who participated in the rave party were staying illegally in the country even after expiry of visa period.

The rave party in which drugs were found was attended by many celebrities and models. The police are still investigating the source of drugs. Though CCTV footage is verified, the police are yet to locate the persons who dumped drugs near the dustbin.

On June 12, the Halasuru police of Bengaluru city conducted raids on a luxury hotel following a tip-off about a rave party where drugs are circulated.

The police had detailed 35 persons, including Siddhanth Kapoor -- also the brother of actress Shraddha Kapoor -- and conducted medical tests. The tests have confirmed consumption of drugs by six persons, including Kapoor.

Later, the accused were released on station bail. Siddhanth Kapoor had told police during the inquiry that someone had given him water and cigarettes laced with drugs. He had also told the investigators that he did not know about it.

Bhimashankar Guled DCP (East) had stated that Siddhanth Kapoor has not agreed that he had consumed drugs. "Kapoor is claiming that it was mixed in his drinks offered by someone and that he did not know about drugs. He said that he had come to Bengaluru 40 times and attended parties as DJ. This was the fourth time he had come to the hotel and was arrested," DCP Guled had said.

"We have taken a guest list and suspicious persons will be called for questioning," he had stated.

The police have sent the mobiles of the accused to the Forensic Science Laboratory for data retrieval. The police are investigating the nexus of Siddhanth Kapoor and others with drug peddling.

The police have also sent notice to the luxury hotel owner and organisers of the rave party. The event management company representatives are also called for investigations.

A case has been registered under IPC Sections 20 A, 22 B, 27 B. The police had arrested Akhil Soni, Business Manager of Mind Fire Solutions, Harjoth Singh, an industrialist, Hani, a digital marketing entrepreneur and Akhil, a photographer.

The police had taken 7 grams of MDMA crystals and 10 grams of Ganja into custody after conducting a raid on a rave party organised at the luxury hotel The Park in Bengaluru on June 12.

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What Next for NCP? After Ajit Pawar’s Death, Sunetra Pawar Steps Into Spotlight

News Network

January 28,2026

Mumbai: The sudden death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in his hometown of Baramati has plunged the state into political uncertainty, raising a pressing question for both the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and its rival faction, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar): what next?

For the two factions that emerged after the dramatic split of June–July 2023, the moment marks their gravest challenge yet. Many believe the answer now rests with party founder Sharad Pawar.

Sharad Pawar, who founded the NCP in 1999 after parting ways with the Congress over Sonia Gandhi’s foreign origin, has already indicated his intention to step away from electoral politics once his Rajya Sabha term ends in April 2026.

Speaking at a public event in Baramati ahead of his 85th birthday on December 12, 2025, Pawar said he would not contest any further elections. “I have contested 14 elections. The younger generation needs to be given an opportunity,” he said, adding that he would decide later whether to seek another Rajya Sabha term.

Often described as the Bhishma Pitamah of Indian politics, Pawar also spoke of his gradual withdrawal from active leadership. “For the first 30 years, I handled everything. For the next 25–30 years, Ajit Dada handled responsibilities. Now, arrangements must be made for new leadership,” he said.

Ajit Pawar’s death has dramatically altered that transition, especially as he was working towards reunifying the two NCP factions.

“After the developments of June–July 2023 and the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections, there were deep changes within the family and the party. In the last six months, serious efforts were made to reunite. Even workers from both sides wanted unity. This is a massive blow,” a Pawar family insider told DH over phone from Baramati.

Electoral outcomes over the past year reflected the split. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, NCP (SP) recorded the best strike rate in Maharashtra, winning eight of the 10 seats it contested. The NCP, by contrast, won just one seat out of four.

However, the trend reversed in the subsequent Vidhan Sabha elections, where the NCP emerged stronger, securing 41 of the 288 seats, while NCP (SP) managed only 10.

Within NCP (SP), Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule serves as Working President, followed by leaders such as Rohit Pawar, state president Shashikant Shinde and former state chief Jayant Patil.

In the NCP, Praful Patel is the Working President and Raigad MP Sunil Tatkare heads the state unit. Ajit Pawar’s wife, Sunetra Pawar, is a Rajya Sabha MP, while their sons Parth and Jay are not actively involved in day-to-day politics. Parth Pawar briefly entered electoral politics in 2019 but lost the Lok Sabha election from Maval. Jay Pawar’s political debut was under consideration.

With Ajit Pawar gone, speculation has intensified that a member of the family may be asked to assume a larger role. For now, Sunetra Pawar is expected to play a key coordinating role in party affairs, alongside Patel and Tatkare.

The NCP continues to have several heavyweight leaders, including Chhagan Bhujbal, Hasan Mushrif, Dattatreya Bharne, Manikrao Kokate and Dhananjay Munde.

Ajit Pawar had already begun steps towards reconciliation between the two factions. While they contested the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal elections separately, they later decided to fight the zilla parishad elections together under the ‘clock’ symbol—seen as the first formal step towards reunification.

Nagpur meet and party roadmap

Both NCP factions claim adherence to the ideology of ‘Shiv–Shahu–Phule–Ambedkar’. At the Rashtravadi Chintan Shivir held in Nagpur on September 19, 2025, the NCP reaffirmed its commitment to sarva dharma sambhav and discussed strengthening ties with the BJP “for the welfare and development of Maharashtra”.

In recent days, reports had suggested Ajit Pawar might return to the Maha Vikas Aghadi following the party’s poor performance in Pune municipal elections, but these claims were denied.

Big question for Maha Yuti

Ajit Pawar’s death also presents an immediate challenge for the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maha Yuti government. Pawar held crucial portfolios, including Finance, Planning and Excise. With the Budget Session approaching, appointing a new Finance Minister has become urgent.

Beyond numbers and portfolios, Maha Yuti has lost a swift decision-maker known for his administrative grip and political finesse—leaving a vacuum that will not be easy to fill.

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