Mahajan's aide dead: son critical after possible drug overdose

New Delhi, Jun 2 (UNI) The late Pramod Mahajan's trusted aide Bibek Biman Moitra was killed while son Rahul was battling for life in hospital here tonight apparently after they had a deadly cocktail of champagne and cocaine at a late night party with three yet to be identified guests.

Moitra, 38, was brought dead to hospital at around 0300 hrs while Rahul, 26, was under constant medical supervision at the Apollo Hospital where they were taken by servants from the 7, Safdarjang Road bunglow allotted to Mahajan.

The two had arrived here from Indore on their way to Asom for immersion of Mahajan's ashes in the Brahmaputra.

While medical and forensic reports into the death and a white powdery substance found from them were yet to be released, three men who were at the party last night told NDTV in an interview that cocaine was supplied to the duo.

''All three are young men and are terrified at what happened,'' the channel reported, claiming that Moitra had paid Rs 15,000 to a drug dealer in Vasant Vihar to buy the dope.

Police, however, was yet to crack the case. Asked if he suspected foul play behind the incident, Additional District Commissioner of Police Manish Agarwal said: ''At this stage all options are open (in the probe)''.

Domestic servants, who rushed them to the Apollo hospital in separate cars at 0255 hrs, told police that they had never seen the three men before.

While Rahul was unconscious and had low blood pressure, low respiratory rate and low oxygen levels in the blood, Moitra, was brought dead, hospital medical superintendent Ritu Rawat told reporters.

Rahul was put on ventilator support. His condition was described as ''critical but haemodynamically stable''. A team of five doctors was monitoring Rahul's condition on a continuous basis.

''All investigations as per protocol, including toxic screen, are under process,'' Dr Umesh Gupta, a spokesman for the hospital told reporters this evening.

''The cause of his condition is still unclear and is being investigated,'' he said, adding that the results of tests in this regard were awaited.

An inquest was conducted on Moitra's death. The viscera was being preserved and would be examined by experts from the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory.

Police was also scanning the telephone numbers found on mobile phones from the place. Servants who rushed them to hospital were questioned about the men who left after staying in the house for close to 45 minutes, Mr Agarwal said.

The three men were known to Moitra, who went out of the house to personally receive them when they arrived at around 2315 hrs last night, Mr Agarwal said.

Two of them went X X X (EDS: Here kindly pick up para two of DI 86, CRIME-SECOND LEAD MAHAJAN TWO NEW DELHI).

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