Phalli’s rise in underworld from a peanut seller to narco king, held after 1,900km chase

Nagpur: A MCOCA accused facing multiple narcotics offences, 25-year-old gangster Vishal Gupta alias Phalli, was arrested from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu on Saturday after being on the run for two months. He was tracked down with his girlfriend Sahali Pandhram, 1,900km away from his home turf.Police were on Gupta’s hot pursuit after the August 26 firing outside corporator Shubham Motghare’s home put him at the centre of a major organised-crime probe.Popularly known as Phalli as he would sell peanuts on a roadside handcart with his father outside a Wathoda beer bar, Gupta had a meteoric rise in Nagpur’s underworld with an absolute grip on the interstate mephedrone network.Sources said the family migrated from Uttar Pradesh two decades ago and over the years he joined local gangs, graduated from petty offences to serious crimes, and almost eliminated an aide.Police records list around 15 cases against him, including murder, attempt to murder, rape and assault. He was also held under preventive detention laws.With murders registered in 2016 and again in 2020, Phalli became a hardened criminal. After securing bail in a 2020 murder case, he allegedly expanded his MD trade, built a supply chain linking Nagpur with Rajasthan through Madhya Pradesh and Ujjain. In 2024, the crime branch nabbed him with three firearms, but he again returned to the trade once released.Phalli came under intense scrutiny after allegedly opening fire on Congress corporator Motghare’s residence at Shrawan Nagar on August 26. Investigators believe the attack stemmed from a bitter fallout as Phalli suspected Motghare of tipping off cops about his links with drug peddlers. After the shooting, Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) was invoked against him.The breakthrough came on October 24 when crime branch unit led by senior inspector Vinayak Golhe raided a flat in Narendra Nagar and arrested five men and seized 1.405 kg MD, six mobile phones, Rs 3.44 lakh in cash, a car, four two-wheelers and other material pegged at Rs 1.54 crore. A sixth accused was later held. Police alleged Phalli coordinated the consignment from his hideout and sent an advance of Rs 15 lakh through his network.“We are looking at backward and forward linkages. Already facing MCOCA, Phalli may face another case under the stringent law,” said CP Vishwas Nangre Patil.Investigators suspect the drugs travelled from Rajasthan via Ujjain for distribution among Nagpur peddlers. “Several top criminals in Nagpur were receiving MD from Phalli. We will now go after them too,” said Jt CP Navinchandra Reddy.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Nagpur | Silver Rate in Nagpur | Bank Holidays in Nagpur | Public Holidays in Nagpur | Petrol Price in Nagpur | Diesel Price in Nagpur | CNG Price in Nagpur | LPG Price in NagpurStay updated with the latest Nagpur news. Download the TOI App.