Mumbai Police’s Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) has turned up the heat, in its ongoing probe into the ₹252-crore mephedrone racket. During the questioning of influencer Orhan Awatramani, popularly known as Orry, officers allegedly used a tactic of raising the room temperature, switching off air-conditioners, and keeping fans at minimal speed to make him uncomfortable and extract clearer answers.
The ANC, which is examining how drugs found their way into high-profile Bollywood and Dubai party circuits, stumbled upon Orry’s name while interrogating accused Salim Shaikh.
Police say Shaikh, a member of the cartel, claimed he organised rave parties across India and abroad. These exclusive gatherings, according to investigators, drew in film and fashion personalities, a politician, and even a relative of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim. Orry’s name surfaced during Shaikh’s statement, officers said.
Orry, a US national and well-known social media figure, appeared before the Mumbai Police’s Ghatkopar unit, where he underwent nearly seven to eight hours of questioning.
Investigators now suspect that Orry may have first come into contact with Dawood Ibrahim’s relative during trips to Dubai. A senior officer said the team has reason to believe he was exposed to the cartel through this link. The officer added that they uncovered information suggesting, “Salim Shaikh aka Lavish and Alishah Parkar are on good terms. Post covid Orry and Parkar had a meeting and a deal was made that Orry would supply cocaine to Bollywood parties.”
During the interrogation, police said Orry admitted to knowing several celebrities, explaining, “He claimed he knew a lot of Indian celebrities as they called him to click photos with his signature post. But he denied supply and consumption of drugs to any of the parties conducted.”
However, the investigators say gathering solid evidence, especially against Alishah Parkar, remains challenging.
A senior officer revealed issues around missing or concealed electronic devices, noting that “Siddhanth Kapoor purchased a new phone two days before the questioning. Orry claimed he has only one phone but then we suspect him having multiple electronic devices. These Bollywood celebrities had a conversation with people in Dubai on signal and other apps.”
Police are also combing through Orry’s financial and travel history. Officers said, “We are checking his sources of income and passport details to know how many times he visited Dubai. He has not provided us with any details of how he knows so many Bollywood celebrities.”
Another aspect that has drawn police scrutiny is Orry’s income versus his lifestyle. As one officer put it, “He said he’s employed with a major firm’s communication department and earns in lakhs with perks. But we suspect that his lifestyle is disproportionate with his income.”
A day before Orry’s appearance, actor-director Siddhanth Kapoor, brother of actress Shraddha Kapoor, also recorded his statement in connection with the same investigation.
Meanwhile, Shaikh, known as “Lavish” for his extravagant lifestyle, was deported from Dubai last month and arrested upon landing in India. His role is pivotal to the case, which centres around a large-scale mephedrone manufacturing unit discovered in Sangli. Police allege Shaikh worked closely with Salim Dola, who oversaw the production and nationwide distribution of the drug. As Shaikh continued revealing names, the circle widened, leading officers to call in high-profile personalities like Orry for questioning.
Both actors, including Kapoor, have denied any involvement in the drug network.
