Mumbai: The alleged seizure of narcotic drugs from Nupur Satija, an accused in the drugs-on-cruise case, was “illegal” as it wasn’t conducted by an authorized woman officer, a special NDPS Act court has said while granting her bail.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had arrested 20 persons including actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan after raiding a cruise ship off the Mumbai coast on October 2. Aryan got bail three weeks later.
Satija, a co-accused, was granted bail on October 30, but the detailed order became available on Saturday.
The prosecution had claimed that four pills of ‘Ecstasy’ were recovered from her possession.
Her lawyers claimed that an authorised woman officer, as mandated by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, was not present during the seizure.
Special judge V V Patil said a female ‘panch’ witness had searched the accused, but “admittedly, there was no lady officer present and no panchanama was carried out by person authorised for that purpose”.
“Therefore there is breach of a provision the NDPS Act,” the judge said, adding that she was entitled to bail on the ground of illegal seizure.
On prosecution’s claim of conspiracy, the court said considering the material placed on record it can not be said that prima-facie there was conspiracy and abetment, as alleged.
The WhatsApp chats produced by the NCB were regarding “only consumption of contraband and not regarding sale, purchase or for any other use of contraband,” the court said.
Woman Arrested In Cheating Case Against Aryan Khan Case Witness
A woman has been arrested in Pune in Maharashtra in connection with a 2020 cheating case registered against Kiran Gosavi, private investigator and witness in the Narcotics Control Bureau’s cruise ship drug bust operation, police said on Saturday.
A Pune Cantonment police station official said Kusum Gaikwad was held as she allegedly received a part of the proceeds after some persons were cheated with job promises.
“In the cheating case registered by us in 2020, of the ₹ 4.05 lakh involved, a sum of ₹ 1.30 lakh went into (Mr) Gosavi’s account and the rest was given to Kusum Gaikwad. (Ms) Gaikwad was also sending prospective cheating victims to (Mr) Gosavi,” said Senior Inspector Ashok Kadam of Pune Cantonment police station.
The 2020 case registered with Pune Cantonment police station involves the cheating of three people to the tune of ₹ 4.05 lakh on the pretext of giving them jobs in Malaysia.
Mr Gosavi, currently named in cases registered with Pune Cantonment, Wanwadi and Faraskhana police stations, was also booked in a similar case by Bhosari police in Pune, an official informed on Saturday.
A Latur resident has complained to Bhosari police that Mr Gosavi cheated him of ₹ 2.25 lakh after promising a job in Brunei in 2015, the official added.
Mr Gosavi is in custody till November 17 in connection with the case registered in Pune Cantonment police station, he said.
Mr Gosavi is a witness in the drug bust on October 2 on board a cruise ship off the coast of Mumbai, in which the accused include Aryan Khan, the son of film superstar Shah Rukh Khan.
Aryan Khan was granted bail by the Bombay High Court on October 28.
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