Mumbai, April 22: In the case of drug overdose deaths allegedly linked to a music concert, two employees of the NESCO Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, where the event was held, have moved the Bombay High Court, challenging their arrest as “illegal” and seeking bail. A magistrate had rejected their bail plea on April 18.
Details of arrest and incident
Sunny Jain, 31, a senior manager for live events, and Balkrishna Kurup, 46, vice-president (Live Events and IP), were arrested on April 13. They were initially remanded to police custody till April 18 and are currently in judicial custody.
On April 11, a concert titled '9x9' was held at the NESCO venue, during or after which a trio fell seriously ill and two of them later died. Investigations suggested that the victims had allegedly consumed MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, a prohibited substance. Police have claimed a possible drug nexus among certain accused.
Petitioners deny involvement
In their petition filed through advocate Rishi Bhuta, Jain and Kurup have contended that they were merely discharging their professional duties and had no direct or indirect involvement in any alleged drug-related activity.
Asserting that they had no role in security arrangements, they further argued that there is no material linking them to procurement, distribution, or consumption of contraband and that no recovery has been made at their instance.
Legality of arrest questioned
Challenging the legality of their arrest, the duo have alleged non-compliance with mandatory safeguards under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, particularly regarding communication of grounds of arrest. They claimed that while relatives were informed of the arrest, the grounds were not communicated to them as required by law.
Language issue raised
Kurup, whose mother tongue is Malayalam, has contended that the grounds of arrest were provided in Marathi, a language he does not understand, and were not explained to him despite requests. The plea argued that this violates constitutional protections under Article 22.
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Bail plea grounds
The applicants have maintained they are cooperating with the investigation and that custodial interrogation is no longer necessary. They have also cited “lack of evidence, absence of any alleged nexus with a drug cartel, and delay in trial” as grounds for bail. Kurup has additionally cited medical conditions requiring ongoing treatment.
Hearing likely today
Their plea is likely to come up for hearing today.
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