NCB Mumbai chief booked for abetting drug accused's father's suicide
What's the story
The Navi Mumbai police have registered a case against Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal director Amit Ghawate in connection with the suicide of builder Gurunath Chichkar. The action comes on a court order, nearly a year after Chichkar died by suicide. He was the father of alleged drug syndicate kingpin Naveen Chichkar, who is being investigated by the NCB for his suspected role in an international drug trafficking network.
Legal proceedings
Ghawate booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
Ghawate, a 2008-batch Indian Revenue Service officer, has been booked under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The charges include abetment to suicide, criminal conspiracy, and extortion, among others, News18 reported. Gurunath Chichkar had shot himself with a pistol at his office on April 25, 2025. A suicide note was recovered from the scene where he allegedly wrote that he was "fed up" with harassment by NCB and police officials.
Ongoing probe
Naveen Chichkar arrested after Malaysia deportation
Initially, the Navi Mumbai police had registered a case of accidental death and launched an inquiry. During the investigation, they reportedly came across material indicating Ghawate's involvement. This has led to the current case against him. The NCB had arrested Naveen Chichkar last year after his deportation from Malaysia. He is accused of leading a transnational drug syndicate, and his brother Dheeraj was also arrested in connection with the same investigation.