NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has denied bail to an African national arrested in a 2021 drug case, citing his lack of roots in India, which the court said renders him a flight risk.
Justice Saurabh Banerjee rejected the bail plea of Okoli Anayo Franklin, observing that granting him relief could frustrate the administration of justice in a case involving the recovery of 256 grams of heroin—a commercial quantity under the NDPS Act—in November 2021.
“Since the applicant is a foreign national with no permanent place of residence or roots in India, he is a flight risk,” the judge said in an order dated January 31. The court noted that trial proceedings were ongoing, with only two of the 19 prosecution witnesses examined so far. It also took into account that a co-accused, who was granted bail earlier, is now untraceable, leading to the issuance of non-bailable warrant.