Mumbai Police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) has summoned Social Media Influencer Orhan Awatramani, popularly known as Orry, for questioning in a high-profile ₹252 crore drugs case, with the 25-year-old scheduled to appear at the agency's Ghatkopar unit at 10 a.m. on Thursday. The summons stems from revelations made by deported drug trafficker Mohammad Salim Mohammad Suhail Shaikh, alias "Lavish," who was extradited from Dubai on November 5 and implicated several celebrities in alleged drug-fueled rave parties organized in Mumbai and Dubai. Orry, a Mumbai-based socialite often spotted at Bollywood events and with stars like Janhvi Kapoor and Nysa Devgn, has not been charged with any offense, and police officials have described the inquiry as procedural to verify Shaikh's statements, which also name actors Nora Fatehi and Shraddha Kapoor, producers Abbas-Mustan, rapper Loka, and NCP leader Zeeshan Siddique.
In a court remand application, the ANC noted that Shaikh claimed these events were hosted to facilitate drug distribution within elite circles, potentially linked to underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim's nephew Alishah Parkar, though all allegations remain unverified at this early stage. Social media reactions on X have been swift and polarized, with users dubbing it a "Bollywood drug purge" and memes flooding timelines questioning Orry's enigmatic "liver doctor" persona amid the scrutiny.
The sprawling investigation traces its origins to an August 2022 arrest in Nagpada, Mumbai, of a small-time drug supplier, which snowballed into a multi-agency probe uncovering a sophisticated mephedrone (MD) manufacturing and trafficking syndicate valued at over ₹252 crore. By March 2024, ANC raids on a remote farm in Sangli district, Maharashtra—disguised as an agricultural plot—led to the seizure of 126.14 kg of the synthetic stimulant, along with raw chemicals, production equipment, and vehicles used for covert transport. Authorities allege the operation was masterminded by fugitive drug lord Salim Dola and his son Taher Dola, with Shaikh serving as a key logistics handler sourcing precursors from Surat and laundering profits through hawala networks to Dubai.
Luxury sedans like Mercedes and BMWs were reportedly pressed into service for discreet deliveries to high-end parties, evading routine checks, while the syndicate's international ties have drawn in the Enforcement Directorate and Mumbai Crime Branch for parallel money-laundering inquiries. Over a dozen arrests have followed, including Taher Dola's extradition from the UAE, positioning Shaikh's confessions as a potential breakthrough in dismantling what police describe as one of India's largest MD networks, rivaling the 2021 Cordelia cruise bust.
Shaikh's interrogation, spanning multiple sessions since his arrest, painted a picture of opulent gatherings blending Bollywood glamour with illicit dealings, where drugs were allegedly supplied to maintain "elite clientele" loyalty. He specifically claimed Orry attended several such events, prompting the summons to cross-check travel records, call logs, and financial trails for any substantive links. Orry, whose Instagram following exceeds 800,000 and who styles himself as a "special human" without a fixed job—relying on event appearances and brand tie-ups—has faced prior legal heat this year.
In March 2024, Jammu and Kashmir Police filed an FIR against him and seven others for allegedly consuming alcohol at a Katra hotel near the Vaishno Devi shrine, violating sacred site prohibitions, after a viral video surfaced showing the group ignoring warnings. That case, registered under excise laws, led to hotel staff summons and a dedicated probe team, highlighting Orry's pattern of drawing public ire for perceived norm-breaking antics.
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As Orry's questioning unfolds, it could cascade into broader summons for the named figures, with ANC officials stating they will "decide on next steps based on his responses" while analyzing digital footprints for corroboration. Nora Fatehi has already denied involvement, slamming media reports as "baseless" and linking to Dawood rumors in a fiery Instagram post, vowing legal action against "defamatory" coverage. The probe's expansion risks exposing deeper Bollywood-underworld nexuses, echoing the 2019-2020 Sushant Singh Rajput case tangents, but experts caution that trafficker testimonies often serve as bargaining chips, requiring ironclad evidence to hold in court. On X, hashtags like #OrryDrugsCase and #BollywoodRaves trended overnight, with influencers debating celebrity accountability versus privacy, amplifying calls for stricter event monitoring in Mumbai's nightlife scene.
This scandal arrives amid heightened anti-drug drives in India, bolstered by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act amendments and international pacts targeting synthetic narcotics like MD, which surged 30% in seizures nationwide last year per NCB data. For Orry, whose rise from obscurity to A-list adjacency—fueled by cryptic posts and red-carpet cameos—has captivated Gen Z, the fallout could dent his brand deals worth crores annually. Yet, if cleared, it might spin into a narrative of resilience, much like past celebrity exonerations. As Mumbai Police tightens the noose on the Dola syndicate, the case underscores the blurred lines between glamour, grit, and graft in India's underbelly, with Shaikh's untested claims holding the key to whether this remains a flashpoint or a full-blown reckoning.
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