Mumbai: Special NDPS Court Discharges Woman Accused Of Supplying Mephedrone To Byculla Jail Inmate

Mumbai, October 30, 2026 - A 35-year-old woman, Muskan Shaikh, has been discharged from a special NDPS court accused of supplying mephedrone to an inmate at Byculla jail, according to prosecutors. The court ruled that merely knowing each other and being co-accused in another case cannot be grounds to implicate her. Muskan was arrested on April 6 while returning to prison, where she was searched and a small plastic zip-lock bag containing 2.05 grams of suspected mephedrone (MD) was found in her possession.

The woman who conducted the search alleged that Muskan had received the contraband from her co-accused, Shabnam Shaikh. Shabnam was subsequently arrested and booked for the same offense. However, Shabnam's legal counsel, Ayaz Khan, sought her discharge, arguing that she had been falsely implicated. The defense pointed to the lack of contraband in Shabnam's possession and claimed that Muskan's initial vague answers about the supply source, combined with a lack of information from other constables regarding the origin of the substance, undermined the prosecution's case.

The prosecution, however, maintained that there was sufficient evidence against Muskan. The court ultimately found no evidence linking Shabnam to the crime, stating that the material did not disclose her prima facie involvement in the possession, supply, or conspiracy related to the seized contraband.