SC rejects NIA plea to cancel Kabir Talwar bail in 3,000kg Mundra drug haul case
The Supreme Court upheld Kabir Talwar’s bail in the 2021 Mundra drug haul, citing long incarceration and trial delay, but denied parity to other accused.
The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to overturn the bail granted to Harpreet Singh Talwar, a Delhi nightclub owner and key suspect in the 2021 narcotics bust at Gujarat's Mundra port, but ruled that other accused cannot seek bail on the basis of equality. The court dismissed a petition challenging the April 10 high court order granting bail to the clubbing tycoon.
The high court had noted that all sensitive witnesses had been examined, and the extended detention since August 2022 and the trial's protracted delay warranted Talwar's release on bail. Chief Justice Surya Kant's bench emphasized that Talwar's bail was granted in "peculiar" circumstances due to the sensitive nature of witnesses and the long-standing trial.
The court allowed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to seek bail cancellation if Talwar delays the trial or tries to influence witnesses. Talwar was arrested in September 2021 for the seizure of 2,988.21 kg of heroin, concealed with talc powder, at Mundra Port. The contraband was reportedly imported from Afghanistan via Bandar Abbas Port, Iran, through Ashi Trading Company.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
