No evidence, Karnataka HC quashes case against Ragini, Ranka in 2020 drugs case
BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday quashed criminal proceedings against accused actress Ragini Dwivedi and Prashant Ranka on the ground that police have not produced any material evidence to prove that they organised parties or sold drugs, except voluntary statements of the co-accused and chargesheet witnesses.
Justice Hemant Chandangoudar passed the order recently, while allowing the petitions filed by Ragini Dwivedi, accused No.2, and Prashant Ranka, accused No.4, questioning the legality of the proceedings.
The court said that continuing criminal proceedings against them would be an abuse of the legal process of law as there is no material produced by CCB to prove the charges against them. However, the court said the order would not come in the way of prosecuting the petitioners in accordance with the law, in view of the observations made in another writ petition involving the same issue.
The chargesheet was filed against them under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and IPC. The CCB, in its complaint, stated that they filed a suo motu complaint with Cottonpet police station. It was alleged in the complaint that they have information regarding the consumption of narcotics at parties organised at various locations frequented by celebrities, DJs, software engineers and others.
Chargesheet was filed against several accused
Later, the CCB recorded the voluntary statement of an accused. Based on this, a crime was registered against the petitioners on September 4, 2020, at Cottonpet police station. The chargesheet was filed against several accused, including Ragini and Ranka, who are accused No.2 and 4 respectively, on June 8, 2021.
The specific allegations against accused no.1 Shivaprakash, a realtor, is that his friend Ragini introduced him to businessmen and youngsters at parties where drugs were supplied. It was further alleged that Shivaprakash, Ragini and others consumed contraband substances, such as ecstasy pills, at parties.
He is alleged to have instigated others to consume ecstasy pills too. The specific allegations against the petitioners were that they organised parties and facilitated the distribution of drugs at events organised on July 5, 8 and 17, 2020.