Mamta Kulkarni, the former top Bollywood actress who starred in superhits such as Karan Arjun, returns to India after 25 years. She shared her joy on Instagram and published a video announcing her happiness to be back in her “mother” country. Kulkarni, who immigrated from India in 2000, has lived in the diaspora for many years.
On the other hand, there is no lack of controversy over Mamta Kulkarni’s homecoming to India. She was held for a ₹2,000-crore drug racket, one of the biggest sensational drug scandals that Bollywood has witnessed. The case, which surfaced in 2016, revolved around Avon Lifesciences, a Maharashtra-based pharmaceutical company allegedly used for illegal drug trafficking.
The prosecution alleged that Avon Lifesciences was diverting ephedrine—a scheduled substance to Kenya. It was rumored to be synthesized into methamphetamine for export to other countries. Mamta Kulkarni and her boyfriend Vicky Goswami were also named among the top suspects. Police alleged that she attended a meeting in Kenya in 2016, where the drug operation’s details were supposedly planned.
Mamta Kulkarni returns to India after being cleared of legal charges
Mamta Kulkarni’s return to India comes on the back of a significant legal victory. Recently, the Bombay High Court quashed the FIR on the one hand due to the absence of evidence on the other hand. Judges Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande, noted that there is no strong, unambiguously evidentiary link between her and a drug trafficking operation beyond what is contained in the FIR.
But it was one of the things admitted to be false by the co-defendants Jay Mukhi that made them fall apart as evidence for the prosecution. Kulkarni would repeatedly deny these accusations, insisting she was falsely accused.
For Mamta Kulkarni, this homecoming symbolizes a new chapter. Although the scandal tarnished her image and brought her career to a dead stop in Bollywood, the court’s verdict restored her by exonerating her. Stepping out of the “public” eye again she appears intent on reclaiming her past and to march onwards.
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