NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court recently granted bail to a Canadian citizen, Mandeep Singh Gill, accused in a narcotics case, citing a lack of substantive evidence linking him to the recovered contraband. The court also noted his clean criminal record and observed that the alleged recovery of drugs was not made from him directly.
Justice Amit Mahajan said, “Without commenting further on the merits of the case, I think the applicant has prima facie established a case for grant of bail.” He further expressed confidence that the accused was unlikely to reoffend while on bail. The court directed Gill’s release upon furnishing a personal bond of Rs 50,000 with two sureties of the same amount, subject to the trial court’s satisfaction.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested Gill on February 6, 2024, following the seizure of 2.496 kilograms of Methamphetamine from a parcel intercepted at a courier facility in Delhi’s Najafgarh industrial area. The parcel was destined for Adelaide, Australia.
The NCB’s investigation claimed that Gill supplied the contraband to co-accused individuals, including Gaurav Singh and Vikramjit Singh. The agency relied on CCTV footage, call detail records (CDRs), and disclosure statements from the co-accused to implicate Gill. Gill’s counsel, advocate Amit Sahni, argued his client was falsely implicated based solely on the co-accused’s statements, without any direct recovery of contraband or corroborative evidence.
He added Gill had come to India for his wedding and had no prior criminal record. Sahni emphasised the emotional and financial dependency of Gill’s wife, newborn child, and elderly parents. He contended Section 37 of the NDPS Act was not applicable due to the lack of substantive evidence.