Court declines bail to three in narcotics peddling cases

Nagpur: The special court for narcotics cases, and also handling cases under Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA), has refused one anticipatory bail and two regular bail pleas in the last few days on the grounds of social interest and national cause.
Special judge SJ Bharuka, while denying bail to Abdul Wahid alias Khoka, stated in the order on October 5 that ‘drug trafficking is on the rise in Nagpur and young generations, including school going children, are under the influence of the drugs’.
Khoka, partner of Shaikh Afsar, was booked under MCOCA after he was arrested in a case of hoarding ganja in February this year. He had moved for regular bail citing no narcotics was seized from his possession and also pleaded ill health. The court found no substance in such arguments, stating his involvement was evident in the fact that he had been booked under MCOCA and his health was being monitored at Government Medical College and Hospital.
On September 24, the special court had denied bail to Shaikh Salim in a case in which more than 20kg ganja was recovered.
On September 23, the anticipatory bail application of Ashish Gayaki too was refused by the special court citing ‘the demand of an individual’s liberty has to be balanced with the larger interest of public at large and state’.
Gayaki was co-accused in a case where gangster Santosh Ambekar’s kin Sunny Verma had been arrested along with two others after 182 gms of MD drugs were found in their possession. It was Verma who had named Gayaki.
The counsel of Gayaki had argued that he was the informer of the police department whose timely tip-off had led to successful raids and seizures in the past.
Meanwhile, city police are now gearing up to oppose the bail application of gangster Feroze Khan alias Abu in a case of MD drugs before the high court. In the past, Abu’s bail by the additional district court had raised a furore in the police and judiciary, following which the order had been recalled and he was asked to surrender. Abu, instead of surrendering, approached the high court during the time granted to him to surrender.