HC grants protection from arrest to chemical company director in ₹10 cr MD supply case

MUMBAI: Bombay HC grants Vijay Voleti, accused in Mephedrone case, protection from arrest but mandates cooperation with investigation and no witness tampering.

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Tuesday granted protection from arrest to Vijay Voleti, the director of a Hyderabad-based chemical manufacturing company, accused of supplying Mephedrone (MD) worth ₹10 crore to an inter-state drugs distribution syndicate busted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Mumbai, in July 2024.

HC grants protection from arrest to chemical company director in ₹10 cr MD supply case

The Mumbai unit had on June 18 allegedly seized 5 kilograms of Mephedrone from a tours and travels office in Sion.

A vacation bench of justice Jitendra Jain was hearing an anticipatory bail plea by Voleti stating that he apprehended arrest by the NCB due to a statement that he gave to the agency earlier.

The sessions court had earlier rejected Voleti’s anticipatory bail holding that his custodial interrogation was necessary, as his name had surfaced in multiple statements recorded by the agency.

Advocate Taraq Sayed and Anish Pereira, appearing on behalf of Voleti, told the court that Voleti’s company was licensed by the NCB to deal with chemicals and that no contraband was found at his premises in a search carried out by the NCB.

While directing the police not to arrest Voleti, the court, however, imposed conditions on Voleti that he would cooperate with the investigation and not influence any witnesses or tamper with any evidence.