Chrisann Pereira Drugs Case: 3 Including Baker Anthony Paul, Spared From Stringent Charges

Mumbai: In the case involving framing of actor Chrisann Pereira in a drugs case, Anthony Paul and two other accused won’t face the stringent anti-drug charges, a special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act court has held. Paul, a city-based baker, is in jail for allegedly planting drugs on Chrisann. The charges under the anti-drug law attract a minimum of 10 years and maximum 20 years, but the court said there’s no allegation to substantiate the charge.

The court dropped the charges of dealing in narcotic substances, observing that, “On going through the provisions of section 24 of (punishment for external dealings in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances), it would not be applicable as there is no allegation that the substance was obtained outside India and supplied to any person outside India.”

Case Transferred To Magistrate Court

The special NDPS court has now transferred the case to a magistrate court, saying that the maximum punishment for the charges applicable under the narcotics law is only one year. The court said that as per the law it can conduct trial only in the cases where punishment is of three years or above.

The NDPS court was scheduled to frame charges against three accused, Paul, Rajesh Bobhate and Shanti Rajput, for allegedly obtaining cannabis and framing the actress by transporting the contraband in her bag to the UAE. During the hearing, Bobhate’s lawyer moved a bail plea claiming that at most his role is only limited to cheating; besides, the quantity involved is 500gm of cannabis, which is a small quantity as prescribed under the law.

Anthony Paul Framed Chrisann In The Drug Case

As per the prosecution case, Paul had differences with the actor’s mother and had decided to frame her. With the help of Bobhate, he lured Chrisann to visit Dubai for an audition where she would meet a man and hand over a trophy to him. The trophy had a narcotic substance concealed inside it, which she was caught with in Dubai. The contraband was allegedly supplied by Rajput