Mumbai: The special court for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, on Monday, sentenced 65-year-old businessman, Nitin K Bhanushali, to 20 years in jail with Rs 10 lakh fine, in connection with a case registered in 1987 by the Directorate of Revenue intelligent (DRI) after recovery of 4,365 kg hashish, concealed in 194 drums containing mango chutney.
About The Case
At the time, the value of the contraband was assessed to be Rs 2.62 crore in the Indian market and Rs 40 crore abroad. Special NDPS judge SE Bangar noted that the accused persons were found with a huge contraband, sought to be exported by evading Customs, and did not agree with the findings of the special judge who acquitted others in the case. The judge observed that Bhanushali was a part of the syndicate for illicit trafficking of drugs substance under the guise of exporting food articles.
It was alleged that Bhanushali, along with Shashikant R Chadha, Pranlal B Timbadia, Dayaram K Thakkar alias Shiva, Jayanti N Chauhan, and Haresh D Gandhi, among others, were involved in a well-organised plan to smuggle hashish out of India by concealing it in mango chutney drums. In 2010, the earlier special judge had acquitted Chadha, Thakkar and Gandhi for want of corroborative evidence, while the trial against Bhanushali was separated as he was absconding. Timbadia was declared mentally unstable to face the trial, whereas Chauhan died in August 2008, pending trial.
Earlier, Chadha had named one Markos, alleging that he is a Pakistan national named Ibrahim, for paying him Rs5 lakh for smuggling, of which he claimed Rs 3 lakh was paid to Timbadia to meet certain expenses. The DRI claimed that Chadha and Timbadia had allegedly procured the drug from multiple sources, packed them in plastic bags and hid them inside chutney drums. The contraband was said to have been stored at various locations before being transported to Suyog Industrial Estate, Vikhroli, where the chutney drums were prepared.
The gala at the Suyog Industrial Estate was taken on rent by Bhanushali, who was also involved in preparing falsified shipping documents, including Customs bills and fake certificates. In his statement to DRI, Bhanushali admitted that the packaging was done under his supervision. The prosecution claimed that he had been convicted in two previous offences, and was jailed in one case. The prosecution had sought capital punishment but the court, for want of previous orders of conviction, did not do so.
