'Ness Wadia gets 2 yrs jail in Japan on drug charge'

Business tycoon and owner of the Kings XI Punjab cricket team, Ness Wadia has been sentenced to a two-year jail term in Japan over possession of 25g of cannabis resin, according to the Financial Times (FT) who cited a report carried by a local Hokkaido station of state broadcaster NHK.

Wadia was reportedly arrested for drug possession in early March at New Chitose Airport in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido while he was there to visit a popular skiing resort called ‘Niseko’.

Wadia, estimated to be worth $7billion according to Forbes, admitted to the possession of drugs saying that it was for his personal use according to FT. He also reportedly spent a period in detention before his indictment on March 20 and an undisclosed period of detention before a court hearing. The Sapporo District Court handed him a two-year prison sentence, which was suspended for five years, the report added.

The 47-year-old has since then returned to India, adds the report. Ness Wadia is the eldest son of group chairman Nusli Wadia of the Wadia group that among other entities, includes biscuit company Britannia Industries and budget airline GoAir.