Townhall Times, New Delhi
Reporter: Bhavika Kalra
In the world of organized crime, being sent to jail is supposed to be the end of the road. But for Faiyaz Sheikh, the main accused in one of Maharashtra’s biggest drug busts, the Solapur District Jail wasn’t a prison—it was a remote office.
This week, the Mumbai Crime Branch (Unit 7) pulled back the curtain on a scandal that has embarrassed the state’s Home Department. They didn’t just find a drug lab; they found the “inside man” who made it all possible: Balu Anna Chavan, a police constable at Solapur Jail.
The ‘Mobile Office’ Inside the Walls
The logic was simple and brutal. Faiyaz Sheikh, a veteran of the narcotics world, was already serving time for his involvement in a massive drug syndicate. But a kingpin without a phone is a kingpin without power.
Enter Constable Balu Chavan. For a “hefty fee,” Chavan allegedly handed over his own personal smartphone to Sheikh inside the prison barracks. With that one device, Sheikh bypassed every jammer, every guard, and every security protocol. He wasn’t just calling home; he was coordinating a multi-crore manufacturing unit in Satara and talking to his son, Fahad, who is currently hiding in Dubai managing the money.
The Satara ‘Lab’: From Buffalo Shed to MDMA Factory
The scale of the operation came to light after a raid in December 2025. In a remote corner of Savari village, in Satara’s Javali taluka, the Crime Branch discovered what looked like a makeshift farm shed. Inside, it was a high-tech lab producing Mephedrone (MD).
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The Seizure: 7.5 kg of solid MD and 38 kg of liquid MD.
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The Value: A staggering ₹115 crore on the international market.
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The operation: The lab was set up on December 9, 2025. By December 13, the police had busted it. But the real question remained: Who was calling the shots from the outside?
The interrogation of seven arrested suspects led the trail right back to the Solapur jail cells. Sheikh had essentially “restarted” his business from his bunk, using Chavan as his digital courier.
Political Heat and Institutional Failure
The arrest of Balu Chavan isn’t just a “bad apple” story; it has turned into a massive political storm. The fact that an inmate could run a ₹115 crore empire while under “high security” has led to calls for the resignation of top officials.
Opposition leaders are pointing to the “Satara connection”—specifically how such a large-scale factory could operate in a village so close to high-profile political hubs without local “protection.” There are even allegations that a local hotel, used as a meeting point for the cartel, has ties to powerful families.
The Dubai-Mumbai-Turkey Link
This wasn’t a local gang. It was a global pipeline.
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The Brain: Faiyaz Sheikh, operating from Solapur Jail.
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The logistics: Balu Chavan, providing the communication link.
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The Financier: Fahad Sheikh, operating from Dubai, handling the hawala and crypto transfers.
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The Protection: Still under investigation, but the police are looking for more “insiders” in the prison system.
The Current Status (Feb 18, 2026)
Constable Balu Chavan was produced in court on Tuesday and has been sent to police custody until February 21. The Crime Branch is now going through Chavan’s phone records and bank accounts to see exactly how much he was paid and if other jail staff were on the payroll.
Meanwhile, a Red Corner Notice is being prepared for Fahad Sheikh in Dubai. The police have realized that seizing the drugs was only half the battle—the real fight is cleaning out the rot within their own ranks.
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