With the Narcotics Control Bureau busy with its investigation into a potential drug racket operating in Bollywood, some other important cases might have been overlooked. In one such case, a suspect who was booked under the NDPS Act for possessing commercial quantities of drugs was granted bail by a special court. The reason for the same was that the federal anti-narcotics agency missed the deadline to file a chargesheet in the case.
NCB fails to chargesheet suspect within 180 days
Acting on a tip-off, sleuths of the NCB arrested Mumbai-based Shivam Piyush Hindia in March on charges of smuggling banned narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances from abroad. Four offences under stringent provisions of the NDPS Act, which attract bail restrictions, were registered against him; however, the agency failed to chargesheet him within the stipulated time period of 180 days.
Special court grants conditional cash bail to suspect
On Saturday, Hindia was granted bail despite being booked for major offences which are punishable by a jail term of minimum 10 years and attract bail restrictions. The special NDPS court ordered his release on furnishing a bond of Rs 1 lakh and also directed him to submit a proof of his residence and passport copy within four weeks after getting released. SB Gaurav, the court judge, directed Hindia to not leave the country without securing permission from the court and to appear before the NCB whenever required.
NCB busy with celebrity case, remarks suspect’s lawyer
Minor offences under the NDPS Act which are punishable with a jail term of less than three years or with fine are bailable. However, offences like possession of commercial quantities of drugs attract punishment under stringent clauses of the Act and face stringent test for bail. After the court granted bail to Hindia, his advocate, Ayaz Khan, remarked, “Perhaps the two NCB prosecutors were very busy with the celebrity case.”
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