An alleged drug peddler, Zaid Vilantra, who is a co-accused with actor Rhea Chakraborty, filed for bail before the Bombay High Court on Saturday.
A resident of Bandra, Mr. Vilantra (20) — arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) — moved court after the special Narcotics Drug Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act court rejected his bail on September 11. He has also sought quashing of the lower court order. Mr. Vilantra was sent to judicial custody on September 9 by a magistrate’s court along with Ms. Chakraborty and her brother Showik.
On September 1, NCB had searched Mr. Vilantra’s premises and recovered ₹9,55,750, $ 2,081, £180 and 15 UAE Dirhams. In his statement, he reportedly said the cash was from the sales of contraband and marijuana supplied to many persons, and disclosed a few names with details. Mr. Vilantra disclosed the names of one Abel Parihar as a receiver of marijuana.
The petition states the next day he retracted the alleged confession before a magistrate and that there is absolutely no recovery of any contraband at his instance and there is absolutely no nexus between him and any contraband of commercial quantity. The plea questions the applicability of S 27A of NDPS Act.
He was arrested on September 2 and has been charged under 8c (prohibition to produce, manufacture, possess, sell, purchase, transport), 20(b) (ii) (A) (whoever produces, possesses, sell, transports or uses Cannabis), 23 (punishment for illegal import in to India, export from India or transshipment of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances), 27-A (financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders), 29 (punishment for abetment and criminal conspiracy) and 30 of NDPS.
The bail petition mentions that “there is absolutely no nexus between the applicant [Vilantra] and any contraband of commercial quantity. Under no circumstance can Section 27A, which stipulates a strict 10- to 20-year sentence and fine of ₹1 lakh to ₹2 lakh, be attracted. Thus the section cannot not be applicable to offences involving small quantity or non-commercial quantity”.
Meanwhile, the Mumbai zone of NCB conducted raids on drug traffickers at some locations based on specific information, an official said. However, these raids are not directly linked to the drugs case pertaining to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, which NCB’s special investigation team (SIT) is probing, he said.
The SIT is probing the drugs case in which Ms. Chakraborty, Showik, Rajput’s manager Samuel Miranda, domestic help Dipesh Sawant and others have been arrested.
(With PTI inputs)
