Court refuses pre-arrest bail to singer Lok Bista in drugs case

Mumbai: A special Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) court in the city recently rejected the anticipatory bail plea of 26-year-old singer and rapper Lok Bista, who is alleged to be part of the group involved in importing charas and other narcotic substances from the USA through parcels

Mumbai: A special Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) court in the city recently rejected the anticipatory bail plea of 26-year-old singer and rapper Lok Bista, who is alleged to be part of the group involved in importing charas and other narcotic substances from the USA through parcels.

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The special court rejected his pre-arrest bail plea, observing that there was material to suspect that he was arranging money and addresses for delivery of the parcels.

In April last year, the Customs department busted a racket which was involved in importing narcotic substances from foreign countries through parcels. Between April 22 and April 25 last year, the department had intercepted three parcels which came from the United States containing around 27 kg of marijuana. During the probe, the police arrested five accused - John Montero, Ashish Bharti, Sunil Pawar, Ajay Gupta and Bhavesh Thakur.

The prosecution claimed that Gupta was an associate of Thakur – owner of recording studio M/s. Drop Out Studio, where Bista had got all his recordings done.

According to the Customs department, Gupta had provided KYC of several other people to Thakur which were used to import parcels containing narcotic substances. The parcels were received in the name of Montero, Bharti, Pawar. In further investigation it was revealed that the parcels were ordered on behalf of Thakur and Bista.

The agency also claimed that in further probe it had come on record that Bista had paid huge monetary consideration to Thakur for providing KYC documents for importing Marijuana. Further Thakur in his statement to the agency claimed that Bista was involved in placing orders, KYC arrangements, money payments, providing addresses to deliver parcels, cash transfers, and depositing cash in his bank account.

Bista’s lawyer, however, sought protection from arrest for Bista, arguing that the statement where Bista’s involvement was referred to is all hearsay. Besides, he claimed that Thakur referred to Bista’s association with the alleged gang only to save his own skin.

The court, however, refused to grant pre-arrest bail to the budding singer, observing that, “there is material on record against this applicant suggesting that applicant had some role in all these transactions. He was aiding accused Bhavesh Thakur in running away from authorities. There is material to suspect that he was making arrangements for money and addresses for the delivery of parcels. Thus, there is reasonable ground to believe that he was involved in the conspiracy to import commercial quantities of contraband.”