Mumbai: A special Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court on Monday convicted a former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Saji Mohan for illegal possession of drugs and smuggling them. He has been sentenced to 15 years in jail by the court.
The court has also convicted a Harayana police constable, Rajesh Kataria and sentenced him 10 years of imprisonment. In 2009, when the offence was committed, Kataria was Mohan's driver. The two were held guilty for possession of heroin to the tune of 37.85 kg.
Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in January 2009 had arrested Mohan, who was then a zonal director with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and was also a joint director of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for possession of drugs and conspiring to smuggle them. Along with Mohan, his driver Kataria was also arrested.
ATS had recovered a large quantity of pure heroin from Mohan, the seized material was allegedly smuggled from across the border via Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the ATS, when Mohan was NCB zonal director at Chandigarh, he would be used to steal more than 50 percent of the drugs consignments seized by the bureau.
Drugs then smuggle to drug peddlers in various cities, including Mumbai. According to the ATS Kataria, was part of the drug smuggling activity. After the arrest, the duo was charged with criminal conspiracy and also under the provisions of the NDPS Act.
The prosecution had examined a total of 40 witnesses and presented four telephonic conversations between Mohan and other members of a drug cartel. While the approver Vicky Oberoi has been acquitted by the court.
While sentencing Mohan to Rigorous Imprisonment of 15 years court has fined him Rs 2 lakh and Kartaria has been fined Rs 1 lakh by the court.
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