Ambika bhardwaj
Published On: December 20, 2021 17:59 IST
The Bombay High Court denied Bail to actor Armaan Kohli on Monday after a Special Court denied it, declaring that there is Prima Facie proof of Illegal Trafficking and Drug Purchase against him. However, a Single-Judge Bench led by Justice Nitin W Sambre granted Bail to Co-Accused Kareem Dhanani and Imran Ansari.
The reasoned Order will be made accessible as soon as possible. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) asserted that in July, it captured 25 gm of Mephedrone from a person and 1.2 gm of Cocaine from Kohli’s house in a follow-up action. Kohli and five others were Arrested, including Alleged peddlers.
The NCB also Seized Kohli’s phone, claiming to have discovered Accusatory proof in the form of pictures and conversations involving an International Drug Cartel. According to the Special Court, Kohli failed to explain why he had the Prohibited items at his residence. The Court stated that because photographs were discovered in his chats with other Co-Accused and he reacted to them, it cannot be said that he had no information (of Drug Trafficking).
“Materials in the conversations and video files also perpetuate for the Applicant’s indulgence in Illegal Trafficking in Prima Facie, and thus, the Prosecution appears to have asserted Section 27A against the Applicant/Accused,” the Court said. It also stated that Conspiracy Sections had been applied and thus the Case was ineligible for Bail.
Kohli’s Plea, filed in the High Court on October 22 via Advocate Vinod S Chate, rejected the NCB’s Allegations and questioned the Special Court’s assertions. The Plea stated that there was no Prima Facie and admissible proof against Kohli, attempting to claim that he is innocent and has been falsely Accused of being involved.
“There is no banking transaction between the Applicant and the Alleged peddler, and the Respondent incorrectly cited financing and harboring provisions based solely on general Allegations.” “The Applicant is a well-known figure in the film industry, and he is not engaged in any Accused financing or Illegal Trafficking action, and there is no compelling reason to invoke Section 27A of the NDPS Act,” the Plea stated.