The special NDPS court has sentenced former chemist Shakir Retiwala, from Kurla, to 15 years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh for peddling banned cough syrup in February 2020.
Arrest and Seizure
According to the prosecution, argued by Shankar Erande, Retiwala was arrested by the Ghatkopar unit of the Anti-Narcotic Cell on February 29, 2020, following a tip-off.
While patrolling Shanta Jog Marg on Tilaknagar Road in Chembur, police spotted Retiwala acting suspiciously. A search revealed he was carrying 400 bottles of cough syrup, each 100 ml. A subsequent search of his residence led to the recovery of an additional 6,640 bottles, all seized by the authorities.
Court Rejected Bail Claim
Retiwala had sought bail in December 2020, claiming that cough syrup is not a narcotic substance and that he was falsely implicated. The court had refused bail, noting that the bottles contained codeine phosphate, a psychotropic substance.
The conviction underscores strict enforcement under the NDPS Act against trafficking of banned substances, including controlled cough syrups.
