Two students died and another remains critical after allegedly consuming drugs at a music concert in Mumbai, police said on Tuesday.
Five persons have been arrested in connection with the incident, including postgraduate students and an event organiser.
The deceased have been identified as a 24-year-old male student and a 24-year-old female student, who had attended the concert at the Nesco Exhibition Centre in Goregaon East along with a group of friends from the same college.
According to police sources, three students from the group consumed drugs during the event, and their condition deteriorated soon after. They were subsequently rushed to hospitals.
Two women were initially taken to a nearby hospital and later shifted to an advanced facility as their condition worsened. The male student was admitted to a private hospital in Goregaon, where he died during treatment.
One of the two women succumbed on Monday due to complications arising from the suspected drug overdose, while the third student remains in the ICU and is undergoing treatment.
The Mumbai Police have registered a case under stringent provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, including charges related to drug sale, possession, and criminal conspiracy.
Five accused have been arrested and are currently in police custody. Investigators are questioning them to determine the nature and source of the drugs allegedly supplied or consumed at the concert.
Nesco acknowledged the incident at its Goregaon centre and said it is extending full cooperation to the authorities.
"We understand the seriousness of the situation and are extending our full cooperation to the concerned authorities in their ongoing investigation. All relevant information and assistance are being provided to ensure that the facts are established at the earliest," a spokesperson for the firm said in a statement.
They also expressed condolences over the deaths of the two students, who allegedly died of a drug overdose.
