Court denies bail to psychologist arrested for supplying Hashish-laced brownies

Mumbai Unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had on July 12, 2021, arrested Rahmeen Rafique Charania for alleged possession of 10 kg of brownie cake containing hashish, sold under name of “hash brownie” and 320 gm of opium.

Mumbai: A special Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court has rejected the bail plea of a 24-year-old psychologist, practising in a renowned south Mumbai hospital, arrested for allegedly selling hashish-laden “hash” brownies.

NCB claimed that the accused baked brownie cakes with a mixture of hashish and opium and supplied them to several clients in Mumbai’s party circuit. (AFP/Reoresentational image)

Mumbai Unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had on July 12, 2021, arrested Rahmeen Rafique Charania for alleged possession of 10 kg of brownie cake containing hashish, sold under name of “hash brownie” and 320 gm of opium.

NCB claimed that the accused baked brownie cakes with a mixture of hashish and opium and supplied them to several clients in Mumbai’s party circuit.

Charania had applied for bail through advocate Taraq Sayed, who argued that he was falsely implicated in the case and had been arrested merely on suspicion. “He is pursuing Masters of Arts in Counselling Psychology from Singhania University,” the lawyer had said, adding that, “He is good at studies and appearing for his PhD.”

Sayed further argued that the alleged seizure of charas and opium was of intermediate quantity, as about one gram of Hashish was used for making 600 to 700 grams of “hash brownies.”

Therefore, he said, the rigours of section 37 of the NDPS Act, 1985 did not apply to the case and there was no impediment in releasing the 24-year-old on bail, as the investigation was complete and chargesheet was already filed.

Special public prosecutor Advait Sethna opposed the plea by pointing out that the commercial quantity of drugs was recovered from the applicant and therefore rigours of section 37 were applicable. He pointed out that in case of seizure of mixture of narcotics drugs with one or more neutral substances, the quantity of the neutral substance is not to be excluded while computing the quantity of the seized contraband.

Special NDPS judge Rahul Rokade accepted Sethna’s arguments and rejected the bail plea of the 24-year-old psychologist.

The special court said that the apex court has held that even the mixture of Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances is equally dangerous. “Since the commercial quantity of charas mixed with brownie cakes are found in conscious possession of the applicant, rigours under section 37 apply to the facts of the case.”