Bombay HC rejects bail plea of actor Armaan Kohli in drugs case

The Bombay High Court on Monday refused bail to actor Armaan Kohli, arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for alleged possession and consumption of drugs.

A single bench of Justice N W Sambre rejected Kohli's application seeking bail. The court will pass a detailed order giving its reasons later. Kohli was arrested in August this year for possession of 1.2 grams of cocaine, a quantity falling under the 'small category meant for consumption.

Later, the NCB arrested the drug peddler from whom commercial quantity was recovered. Kohli approached HC after a special court rejected his bail plea. Kohli's advocate Aabad Ponda had argued the offences against the actor were bailable considering he had been allegedly found with a small number of drugs.

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He also contended that except for statements and panchnamas, there was nothing to justify why sections 27A (illicit trafficking) and 29 (conspiracy) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act were invoked.

Ponda argued that mere collection of bank statements and Whatsapp chats was not sufficient to invoke the stringent provisions of the NDPS Act. Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for NCB, pointed out to the court that Kohli has been accused of supplying contraband to third parties, for which he had received the money.

Singh said that several links had been found between Kohli and foreign nationals during the investigation indicating illicit procurement of drugs.

The ASG also showed court Whatsapp chats and financial transactions from Kohli's bank accounts to point out that the latter had committed a serious and grave offence. The bench, however, granted bail to Kareem Dhanani and Imran Ansari, two other accused in the case.