Special NIA court denies bail to ‘KLF member’
Accused Dharminder Singh, alias Dhanna (36), sought regular bail for the second time, citing that he had no direct involvement in the drug-terror case and was not named in the FIR initially registered by the Punjab Police in 2019.
Special NIA court in Mohali dismissed the bail plea of a Moga resident, who was arrested in an alleged drug-terror case in June 2020.
Dharminder Singh, alias Dhanna (36), an alleged member of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and a Pakistan-based drug smuggling syndicate, had sought regular bail for the second time, citing that he had no direct involvement in the case and was not named in the FIR initially registered by the Punjab Police in 2019.
The case was later transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and a fresh case was registered by the agency in 2020, following which the accused was also booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Counsel for the bail applicant contended that Dhanna was named in the case based on a disclosure statement.
“There is no evidence to connect the applicant with the offence except that the car of the applicant was borrowed by a co-accused Harpreet Singh, from whom it was later recovered at the time of the alleged incident. It was alleged that Harpreet Singh @ Happy used his car to procure the drugs from another co-accused Jajbir Singh Samra. The investigation agency does not have any evidence, incriminating the applicant. The applicant has been in custody since June 12, 2020”, the defence counsel submitted.
Urfi Masood Syed, the public prosecutor for the NIA, opposing the bail plea averred that the bail application filed by the applicant was not maintainable in view of UAPA.
According to the prosecution, the accused persons, involved in the case, were running a narcotic-terror network which had different types of elements, who were involved in buying and selling heroin and further channelising the proceeds through non-banking channels of hawala operators to Dubai and Pakistan.
“Dhanna remained associated with co-accused Jajbir Singh Samra through co-accused Harpreet Singh. Dhanna used to buy drugs from Samra which was sent by Harmeet Singh alias PhD, self-styled chief of Khalistan Liberation Force and a Pakistan-based drug smuggler, for self-consumption as well as for selling the said drugs to local peddlers. He remained part of the conspiracy hatched by Harmeet Singh and Samra by buying, possessing and selling drugs”, the prosecution contended.
Case
Initially, Tarsikka police in Amritsar registered an FIR dated May 31, 2019, under the NDPS Act, against Jajbir Singh Samra, Harpreet Singh alias Happy and Varinder Singh Chahal for having been found in possession of 500grams of heroin and ₹1,20,000 drug-money. Thereafter, the investigation of this case was transferred to the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar. Three more accused namely Nirmal Singh alias Neeldhari, Hira Lal and Satpal Singh were arrested.
Later, in compliance with the ministry of home affairs orders, dated January 20, 2020, the investigation was handed over to NIA.
Rejecting the bail plea, the court of Manjot Kaur, special judge, NIA, Punjab, observed, “In view of the foregoing facts and circumstances encompassing the case in hand and more particularly in view of the serious nature of allegations, the bail applicant is not found entitled to the relief of bail as prayed for. Accordingly, finding no merits in the application, the same stands dismissed”.