Builder suicide: 2 cops detained over ‘links’ with son’s drug cartel

Navi Mumbai: A special investigation team probing the suicide last week of a Navi Mumbai builder, who alleged facing harassment by Narcotics Control Bureau and Belapur police over drugs seizure cases lodged against his two absconding sons, on Sunday detained two police constables for suspected links to a drug cartel.
Police suspect builder Gurunath Chichkar's elder son, Naveen Chichkar, is the kingpin of the cartel and is running its operations from a foreign location.

A source said one of the detained constables, Sachin Bhalerao, has been with Kharghar police station's detection branch since July 2024, while the other, Sanjay Phulkar, is attached to Navi Mumbai crime branch's anti-narcotics cell. The source said call data records showed that the two had made multiple calls to Gurunath.
DCP (crime) Amit Kale said the drug cartel probe details will be shared later.
Gurunath shot himself in the head at his Belapur office last Friday. He left behind a note in which he alleged being repeatedly summoned for inquiry into cases filed against Naveen and his younger son, Dhiraj Chichkar. —George Mendonca