Court scraps case against man accused of drug smuggling in Bengaluru prison

The Karnataka High Court recently dismissed a criminal case against a 36-year-old man accused of smuggling drugs into Parappana Agrahara prison in Bengaluru in 2022. The court, in its order dated September 15, dismissed the charges filed under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, stating that the entire allegation in the chargesheet was baseless.

The case began on February 2, 2022, when a staff member noticed a prison guard carrying a lemon and flowers in his pocket, which later revealed hidden substances. Hebballi was arrested, and seven others, including Anji, were also apprehended. Anji's lawyer argued that he was implicated due to his mother's alleged involvement in supplying the drugs, pointing out that he was implicated solely on the basis of statements from other co-accused.

The court agreed, ruling that the only allegation against Anji was his mother's role, and without additional evidence, the proceedings against him should be discontinued.