Armaan Kohli's bail application rejected by Bombay High Court in drugs case

Actor Armaan Kohli who continues to be behind bars in a narcotics case regarding the seizure of 1.2 gms of drugs from his residence, got no relief from the Bombay High Court as he was denied bail on Monday. The actor had approached the Bombay HC after a special court rejected the plea while stating that there is prima facie evidence of illicit trafficking and purchase of drugs against him. However, according to Live Law, the two others arrested in the same case, Kareem Dhanani and Imran Ansari have been granted bail.

Kohli has been denied bail twice prior to December 20, 2021. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had claimed earlier in July that they had seized 25 gm of mephedrone from a man, and in a follow-up action, seized 1.2 gm of cocaine from Kohli’s residence. Kohli and five others, including alleged peddlers, were arrested. The NCB had also seized Kohli’s phone in which they claimed to have found incriminating evidence in the form of photographs and chats concerning an international drug cartel.

Bombay High Court rejects actor Armaan Kohli’s bail 

The bail plea filed by the actor in the high court on October 22, through advocate Vinod S Chate, denied the NCB’s allegations and challenged the observations of the special court. Claiming that Kohli is innocent and has been falsely implicated, the plea said that there was no prima facie and admissible evidence against him. 

“There is no banking transaction of the applicant with the alleged peddler and merely on the basis of general allegations, the respondent wrongly invoked provisions in respect of financing and harbouring. The applicant is a reputed person in the film industry and he is not involved in any alleged activity in respect of financing and illegal traffic and there is no cogent reason to invoke Section 27A of the NDPS Act,” the plea stated

Senior Advocate Aabad Ponda argued that mere collection of bank statements and Whatsapp chats were not sufficient to invoke the stringent provisions of NDPS Act. “We all know the veracity of Whatsapp messages. If I get some messages, then will those messages from them, without any response from me, be admissible evidence. If someone messages me ‘I killed someone and ‘I say good’ will that amount to abetment? Of course not!” Ponda said.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh appearing for the NCB, informed the Court that the actor had been accused of supplying contraband to third parties and not for free. "These were part of his commercial dealings", the ASG said.

In October this year, the actor’s bail plea and two others were rejected by a special NDPS court. The 49-year-old actor had been arrested and charged under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act) for allegedly possessing drugs. 

IMAGE: Instagram/ArmaanKohli/Shutterstock