New Delhi: The Chief of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has found himself in the dock over “intentional negligence” by his department in challenging the bail of a Nigerian woman drug peddler, who was reportedly also staying in India without valid travel documents.
A bench of Justices NV Ramana and SA Nazeer took strong exception to the fact that the NCB moved the top court almost eight months after the Karnataka High Court released the 30-year-old woman on bail following a meek opposition by the prosecution.
When the NCB’s appeal came up before the bench during a recent hearing, Justice Ramana noted that the bail was granted to Loveth Osasogie in April but the NCB chose to wait for unreasonably long before an appeal was filed against the HC order.
“Why did you wait for so long? Will the NCB take eight months to file an appeal? We feel this is a case of intentional delay. There is some reason why the NCB waited for so long and we now want an explanation. This is a case of drug peddling and this woman has been accused of supplying drugs for rave parties and to the children,” the bench asked the NCB’s counsel in the Court.
The council tried to explain the delay by pointing out that it took relatively longer, in this case, to get a copy of the HC order and have all papers ready for filing an appeal.
But this explanation did not go down well with Justice Ramana as he said that it did not appear to be an ordinary case of delay due to bureaucratic set-up and thus the buck would stop only at the top and the NCB Director will have to now furnish an explanation.
The Court then passed the order: “The Director, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is directed to file an affidavit on the next date of hearing with respect to the intentional negligence in filing the petition with such delay.”
It also sought a response from Osasogie over the cancellation of her bail but added: “Since we are not satisfied with the explanation given by the learned senior counsel for the petitioner about the delay in approaching the Court for cancellation of bail, notice be also issued on the application for condonation of delay.”
In a major drug haul, the NCB had in August last year arrested Osasogie along with another Nigerian national -Roseline Ernes from Bengaluru. Drugs and psychotropic substances worth around Rs 1 crore has been seized from the accused.
The NCB officials had later gone on record that during interrogation, the duo confessed that they were into supplying drugs for parties and students in the area and that they have been overstaying in India for the last few months.
Comments
0 comment