Orry Questioned In Rs 252 Crore Drugs Case In Mumbai

Mumbai, November 26: The crowd outside the Anti Narcotics Cell in Mumbai had already begun to swell by the time Orhan Awatramani, or Orry as the internet insists on calling him, arrived late in the morning. A few seconds after he stepped out, the buzz turned into a crush. There were phones sticking out from every angle, camera crews shouting his name, and a handful of police personnel trying to carve a path through it all.

According to Hindustan Times, he didn’t say a word. No greeting, no deflection, no attempt to brush off the moment. He simply kept moving, shoulders tight, as officers pushed aside the crowd so he could reach the door. The brief walk looked uncomfortable, and for a moment the circus outside felt larger than the investigation inside.

For the ANC, though, this was a routine step. Orry had been called in for questioning in the expanding Rs 252 crore mephedrone case, a case that began quietly more than a year ago and has since turned into one of Maharashtra’s more complicated drug investigations.

A Raid In Sangli That Unravelled A Larger Network

The story didn’t begin with influencers or celebrities. It started in March 2024, on a farm in Sangli, far from Mumbai’s sea-facing apartments and late-night party scene. Police raided the property and, as Mint reported, seized 126.14 kilograms of mephedrone, a staggering quantity valued at Rs 252 crore.

From that point, investigators slowly uncovered what they believe was a well-oiled network. As per Business Standard, the alleged syndicate used chemical units hidden in rural pockets, moved money through hawala channels, and relied on luxury cars for drug movement. This wasn’t the scrappy street peddling people imagine. It was quiet, slick, and financially layered.

Even then, the case stayed mostly out of the public eye until this month, when a new round of questioning linked the probe to names that the public recognises instantly.

How Orry’s Name Surfaced

The turning point came after the arrest and deportation of Mohammad Salim Mohammad Suhail Shaikh, the alleged key operator. His interrogation, still ongoing, is where several well-known names first appeared. According to NDTV, Shaikh described hosting parties in Dubai and Mumbai, events that drew entertainers, nightlife regulars, and social-media fixtures. He said Orry attended some of these gatherings.

Investigators want to know what exactly happened at these events and whether any of them had a link to drug activity. That is the reason for the summons. At this stage, the police have not accused Orry of any offence.

Still, because of who he is and the kind of strange cultural space he occupies online, his visit to the ANC office instantly overshadowed the actual purpose of it. A verification exercise quietly turned into a photo-op frenzy, and the pressure on officers inside the building rose a little more.

Siddhanth Kapoor Questioned A Day Earlier

Orry isn’t the only one called in this week. On November 25, Siddhanth Kapoor, brother of Shraddha Kapoor, appeared before the same investigative unit. Reporting by The Times of India shows that his questioning was tied to the same claims made by Shaikh.

The ANC has repeatedly said that they are following up on every name that surfaces, not singling people out because of who they are. But once celebrity names enter a narcotics case, public curiosity tends to drown out the nuance. That was visible outside the unit today.

What Investigators Are Looking For

Inside the building, the work is far more subdued. Officers are expected to go over Orry’s connection, if any, with Shaikh, the parties mentioned in the interrogation notes, and the people who attended them. They will likely ask for dates, contacts, and any detail that helps them either confirm or discard parts of Shaikh’s testimony.

Investigators are careful with such statements. A claim made by an accused can’t hold up on its own. They need messages, financial records, or actual evidence. Without that, a name is just a name.

Still, the case has grown large enough that every additional statement matters. There are money trails to follow, chemical suppliers to trace, and a web of small players who may know more than they admit. Some officers privately admit that this is one of the more intricate synthetic-drug cases they’ve handled in recent years.

Why The Case Matters Beyond Mumbai’s Social Circles

It’s easy to focus on the celebrity angle, but the Sangli raid pointed to something more troubling. Synthetic drugs like mephedrone have become easier to produce, and the networks behind them are less visible than older narcotics routes. You don’t need plantations or cross-border smuggling routes. You need chemistry, privacy, and a clean distribution chain.

This is why raids like the one in Sangli set off alarms. They hint at a shift in how narcotics operations function and how difficult they might be to dismantle. What might look like isolated rural labs could actually be part of wider systems that agencies haven’t fully mapped yet.

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In that sense, the questioning of high-profile individuals is only a small chapter in a much bigger story.

For Now, A Statement And Little More

Orry’s legal position remains unchanged. He has been called in only for questioning, nothing more. His cooperation will help officers cross-verify what Shaikh told them. Whether his name appears anywhere beyond the interrogation notes will depend entirely on what evidence the investigators can actually establish.

For now, the case continues its slow, tangled progression part narcotics investigation, part financial tracking, and part public spectacle brought on by the unusual overlap between rural drug manufacturing and the country’s celebrity-driven attention economy.

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