NCB staffer arrested in drug case seeks bail

After her arrest, Wasnik had made an application before the court seeking to retract the statement she had made before the NCB while in its custody. (Representational)

A Narcotics Control Bureau staffer who was arrested in a drug case has filed for bail claiming she was falsely implicated. Pravinta Wasnik, a sepoy with the NCB, was arrested on January 12 by her own agency along with an alleged drug dealer Gulam Hussain. The NCB claimed that when it arrested Hussain, it found 200 grams of banned drug Mephed-rone in his pocket, another 495 grams from a Honda Activa registered in Wasnik’s name and 228 grams from the government quarters in Wadala allotted to her.

In March, however, the NCB approached the special court seeking a retest of these three samples after a report by the Hyderabad Central Forensic Science Laboratory did not show any trace of Mephedrone, also known as ‘meow meow’. While some of the samples showed traces of methamphetamine, another detected aspirin. The court rejected the retest plea.

Wasnik has referred to the report of the Hyderabad CFSL and claimed in her bail application that the statement of her co-accused also does not indicate that she had any knowledge about the 495 grams of the drug found in the vehicle registered in her name.

“That the statement of the present applicant (Wasnik)…is exculpatory in nature in respect of recovery of 495 grams of white crystalline powder positive for methamphetamine or any other drug,” the bail plea states.

She further claims that apart from the statements, there is ‘no independent material’ to show that she can be prosecuted under Section 25 of the Narcotic Drugs and Pyschotropic Substances Act. After her arrest, Wasnik had made an application before the court seeking to retract the statement she had made before the NCB while in its custody. She also said that she was being victimised after she complained against another official of the NCB. The court has directed the NCB to file a reply to the bail plea.