‘Delhi cocaine deadlier than Mumbai’s’

The white powder picked up by the police at Rahul Mahajan’s home in Delhi could be a poisonous substance or simply a purer form of cocaine. Substance abuse experts contend that there are very few amorphous powders that work as poison. 

“Cocaine sold in Delhi and in Mumbai are different. It is available in purer form in Delhi. In pure form, even one gm or 1.5 gm can kill,” said an expert.

Psychiatrist Dr Rajiv Jerajani, who deals with drug abuse cases, said the substance was not an opium derivative, such as brown sugar. He said he was intrigued by speculation that Rahul and Vivek Moitra could have consumed cocaine mixed in alcohol. “The two substances have opposite effects and would confuse the brain. Usually, they are not mixed. Why would somebody looking for a drug-induced high have alcohol,” he said.

On Thallium: Dr Vikram Lele, head of nuclear medicine, Jaslok Hospital, said thallium poisoning was rare. “Thallium is a trace element used for diagnosis. It is found in rat poison too, but it stinks. Unless consumed in very high quantities, thallium cannot kill so quickly,” he said, referring to Moitra’s death.

Moreover, thallium had to be consumed, not snorted, as Moitra and Rahul are alleged to have done.

Sporadic cases of suspected thallium intoxication were reported in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1986, probably because it was commonly used as a rodenticide. But none of the persons with chronic thallium intoxication had high thallium levels in blood or urine.