Designated court to hear Rahul Mahajan's bail plea

A court accepted Delhi Police's petition challenging jurisdiction of metropolitan magistrates to try such cases.

A Delhi court on Monday ordered that the bail petition of Rahul Mahajan, accused in a drug abuse case, be heard by a designated court under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

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Accepting a review petition filed by the Delhi Police challenging the jurisdiction of metropolitan magistrates in trying such offences, Additional Sessions Judge NK Gupta directed transfer of all files including Rahul's bail application to a designated court.

The Judge asked the Metropolitan Magistrate to place the bail petition before a special court in Patiala House and said in case if there is no special court there, the plea be directed to the Delhi District Judge or Judge-in-charge or be marked to some other special court.

Delhi police filed the petition on Sunday seeking transfer of the case from a metropolitan magistrate's court to a designated court, which is empowered under the NDPS Act, alleging the Metropolitan Magistrates (MM) are not empowered to try such offences.

His bail application will now come up for hearing before a designated court on Tuesday.