NESCO Concert Deaths: Forensic Lab Confirms MDMA Use Among 2 Deceased Students in Mumbai; Know How Ecstasy Pills Were Smuggled
Toxicology reports confirmed MDMA (ecstasy) in two Mumbai MBA students who died after a NESCO music concert. The investigation exposed an international syndicate smuggling the drugs from the US hidden inside paint cans. Ten people face culpable homicide and narcotics charges; eight remain in custody while the final cause of death is determined.
Forensic toxicology reports have confirmed the presence of MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, in the systems of two management students who died after falling ill at a music concert at NESCO in Goregaon, Mumbai, in April. The findings, submitted by the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), validate initial police suspicions regarding narcotics consumption at the event and have led investigators to uncover an international drug syndicate smuggling contraband from the United States into India.
The ongoing investigation by the Vanrai police has exposed an illicit supply chain where high-purity narcotics were reportedly shipped via international courier services, concealed inside industrial paint containers to evade customs screening. Mumbai: 28-Year-Old Law Student Dies, Woman Hospitalised After Suspected Alcohol Overdose at Live Music Concert at NSCI Dome in Worli.
Forensic Findings and Cause of Death in NESCO Concert Case
The FSL report explicitly identified MDMA in the biological samples of Shreya Rai, 24, and Sheetal Salvi, 25, who were second-year MBA students at a prominent South Mumbai institute. "MDMA was detected in the samples. Considering the high-profile nature of the case, the analysis was expedited and the report submitted at the earliest," an FSL source stated. The medical data has been forwarded to forensic doctors to finalise the official cause of death. "Doctors will now examine the findings and determine the final cause of death," a senior police officer confirmed.
The Concert Incident at NESCO in Mumbai and Fatalities
The fatalities occurred following a techno music festival held on April 11 at the NESCO Exhibition Centre in Goregaon, which drew an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 attendees. Both Rai and Salvi complained of severe dizziness and physical discomfort while dancing. They were initially moved to a local trauma care municipal hospital at 12:30 AM on April 12 before being transferred to Bombay Hospital as their health rapidly deteriorated. Rai passed away later that day, while Salvi succumbed to her symptoms nearly a week later.
A third student from the same management institute, 28-year-old Bismat Singh Amarjit Singh Bhasin, also fell ill after consuming alcohol at the venue and died during emergency treatment at Lifeline Medicare Hospital.
Smuggling Methods and Syndicate Operations
The regulatory investigation into the source of the lethal pills has revealed highly sophisticated concealment techniques used by international drug cartels. Law enforcement officials stated that the ecstasy pills were tightly wrapped in layers of rubber and plastic, then submerged inside commercial paint containers to bypass transit screening. “If ecstasy pills are packed in small rubber balls and hidden inside paint containers, it is difficult to identify them during routine screening," a senior narcotics officer explained. "Drug syndicates have also been known to conceal narcotics inside chocolate boxes, with packets wrapped in colours similar to actual chocolates. During X-ray screening, such consignments can appear similar to genuine products, making them difficult to differentiate," the officer said.
The Mumbai Crime Branch’s Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) highlighted the scale of this trade, referencing a parallel April enforcement action where officers intercepted 5,000 MDMA pills valued at approximately INR 6 crore in Titwala. In that separate multi-crore operation, a syndicate had successfully hidden 25,000 ecstasy pills inside a commercial garment consignment shipped from Europe.
Legal Action and Arrests in the Case
The Vanrai police have registered a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder alongside stringent provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The police have named ten individuals in the case, identifying 24-year-old Ayush Vickey Sahitya from the Kalyan-Ulhasnagar belt as the alleged mastermind behind the distribution of the specific “Mercedes” branded ecstasy pills.
According to prosecutors, four of the primary accused - Ayush Sahitya, Anand Patel, Shubh Agarwal, and Vineet Garelani—distributed the narcotics to the students and bypassed event checkpoints by bribing a venue security guard, Pradeep Gupta. While eight suspects remain in judicial custody and two suspects are currently absconding, the Bombay High Court granted bail to two individuals on June 12, including an employee of the NESCO Exhibition Centre. The police are finalising their formal chargesheet as the investigation deepens into local distribution networks.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 16, 2026 10:10 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
