Ragini Dwivedi granted bail in Sandalwood drug case

The court noted that the prosecution, it seemed primarily, had wrongly invoked section 37 of the NDPS Act

The Supreme Court on Thursday granted bail to Kannada film actress, Ragini Dwivedi, arrested for her alleged involvement in a Sandalwood drugs case.

A bench presided over by Justice R F Nariman said this is a case where bail must be granted.

The court noted that the prosecution, it seemed primarily, had wrongly invoked section 37 of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and other sections against her.

It set aside the High Court order of November 3, 2020, which had declined her plea for release.

Opposing her plea, the Karnataka government had claimed, following her arrest on September 4, 2020, she had allegedly disclosed names of other accused involved in the drug trafficking. If she was enlarged on bail, she would alert those accused and help them abscond and destroy the evidence, it submitted.

Senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, representing Dwivedi, contended that nothing was recovered from his client from the searches conducted.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Karnataka government, submitted that she used to arrange substances for rave parties. Mehta also insisted that there is a probability of evidence tampering and the court may consider declining the bail at least till the time a charge sheet is filed in the case.

However, the bench, also comprising Justices Navin Sinha and K M Joseph, after a brief hearing in the matter granted bail to Dwivedi, who has been in custody since September 4 last year.