Mumbai: The special NDPS court has acquitted a 61-year-old man booked in 1986 for allegedly storing 137kg of hashish in his Worli residence. The man was acquitted after 38 years due to lack of evidence, as none of the officers of the raiding party and other key witnesses were available to testify before the court.
As per the prosecution case, on May 7, 1986, customs officers received information that a huge quantity of narcotic drugs was stored in a residential house in Worli Village. Based on the information, the team raided the house and recovered seven cardboard boxes containing different-shaped balls packed in polythene bags and kept in thermocol packing. The prosecution claimed that the balls were nothing but Hashish (Charas). The contraband was found to weigh 137 kg, worth Rs 5.48 lakh at that time.
The house was occupied by Abdul Rauf Saibole, who during questioning revealed that the contraband was kept in his house by Abdul Razak Abdul Latif. It was claimed that the drugs were meant for illegal export out of the country. The court noted that both accused were absconding, and non-bailable warrants had been issued against them. Saibole later appeared before the court and deposited surety, but the case remained dormant. A fresh warrant was issued in August 2015, and Saibole finally appeared in December 2022, after which the case proceeded.
Of six witnesses cited by the prosecution, most were unavailable — the complainant B.H. Patel was untraceable, Officer D.B. Pandit had passed away, and others remained unavailable despite non-bailable warrants. Crucial documents like the complaint and seizure memorandum could not be proved. With no corroborative evidence, the court acquitted Saibole, while Latif remains absconding.
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