Mahajan's close aide dies, son battles for life

New Delhi, June 2: Exactly a month after Pramod Mahajan's death, his family was in distress again today as the late leader's son Rahul Mahajan was critical following suspected drug overdose or poisoning while his private secretary for 15 years Bibek Biman Moitra was declared brought dead at Delhi's Apollo Hospital.

Servants who rushed the two to the hospital early today from Pramod Mahajan's 7 Safdarjang Road residence told police they had consumed liquor with three guests. The three are yet to be identified and traced.

A white powdery substance found from the place as well as bottles from which they consumed liquor were being examined by experts from the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory, DCP (New Delhi Range) Manish Agarwal said.

He said there was no evidence of any struggle or commotion at the 7 Safdarjang Road residence last night. There was no injury mark on the bodies.

The three men, who stayed there for nearly 45 minutes, were apparently friends of Mr Moitra, police sources said.

While Moitra was declared dead on arrival at the Apollo Hospital at around 0315 hrs, Rahul had a low respiratory rate, low blood pressure and low oxygen level, hospital Medical Superintendent Ritu Rawat told reporters.

Rahul was put on ventilator support at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital, she said. His condition was ''critical, but stable'', she said.

A post mortem of Bibek as well as reports of the blood tests on Rahul later in the day would help identify whether they had drug overdose or were poisoned, hospital and police sources said. Police officials, however, said they suspected foul play and had initiated a probe in this direction.

DCP Agarwal said the ''scene of crime'' had changed by the time police was informed and arrived on the scene. The glasses had been washed and the liquor bottles returned to the fridge.

A team of doctors headed by Dr Prasad Rao, specialist in internal medicine at the hospital, was attending on Rahul, 26, a hospital spokesperson said. Moitra's body was kept in the hospital mortuary. BJP President Rajnath Singh, Rahul's uncle and party leader Gopinath Munde as well as General Secretary Vinay Katiyar and Delhi unit chief Harsh Vardhan were among those who visited the hospital to enquire about Rahul's health.

They expressed shock over the incident, but refused to speculate over its reasons. ''It is not proper to speculate on the reason behind this. Now that Bibek is no more, only Rahul would be able to say what happened when he regains consciousness,'' Munde, who rushed here from Nagpur, said after visiting his nephew at the hospital.

''It is an unfortunate incident,'' Mr Rajnath Singh said.

Rahul and Mr Moitra had arrived here from Indore last evening.

They were to leave for Asom to immerse Mr Mahajan's ashes in the Brahmaputra.

Mr Mahajan had succumbed to gunshot wounds inflicted by his brother Pravin Mahajan in Mumbai on May 3.

UNI

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