Even if he survives, it's curtains for his political career.
Rahul Mahajan is really up against it. First, he is fighting for life at New Delhi's Apollo hospital; second, even if he survives, it's curtains for his political aspirations of carrying the legacy of his father, the late Pramod Mahajan; third, he could be slapped with a police case under the NDPS Act if cocaine samples are found in Vivek Maitra's viscera and the 'white powder', found by police at the "scene of crime", turns out to be coaciane.
Disaster struck the Mahajan family once again exactly a month after the death of Pramod Mahajan. But the sympathy wave was missing this time. Top BJP leaders actually recoiled after coming to know that Rahul might had been on cocaine and champagne on the night before he was to immerse his father's ashes in the Brahmaputra in Guwahati. Barring a visit by BJP president Rajnath Singh and Delhi unit chief Dr Harshvardhan to the hospital, party leaders chose to stay away. They considered his action "scandalous".
Doctors said the next 24 hours were going to be critical for Rahul. The police, too, were not committing anything. While they haven't confirmed whether the 'white powder' was cocaine, they haven't ruled it out either. A source said, "If samples of cocaine are found in Vivek Moitra's viscera, then Rahul could be booked under the NDPA Act for possession of drugs. It could be most damaging to him."
Eyebrows were raised when Rahul's Mumbai-based personal physician, Dr Nirmal Surya, made an appearance at the hospital. He ruled out use of banned drugs by Rahul. According to him, Rahul had been suffering from depression ever since his father's death. The condition worsened two days ago, and he had to increase dosages of anti-depression drugs and add one new medicine. He added that his prescribed drugs could never have reacted so severely, particularly with champagne, which is a mild alcohol.
