SC denies bail to Delhi businessman in Mundra port drug haul case

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the bail plea of Delhi-based businessman Harpreet Singh Talwar, who is accused in the Rs 21,000 crore Mundra Port drug haul case. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, however, allowed Talwar to approach the court for bail again after six months. The court dismissed the allegation of terror financing against Talwar as premature and directed the special court to fast-track the trial by listing the case twice a month. The bail plea was reserved for verdict on April 23 after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) stated that the proceeds from the drug sale were being used to fund Lashkar-e-Taiba’s terror activities. Talwar, who owned popular clubs in Delhi, was arrested by the NIA in August 2022 in connection with what is considered India’s largest-ever drug haul. On September 12, 2021, containers arriving at Mundra Port from Afghanistan via Iran were found to contain semi-processed talc stones. A check by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence the following day led to the discovery of 2988.21 kg of heroin, valued at Rs 21,000 crore. Investigations later revealed that the intercepted shipment was the final one in a series of drug consignments. Several arrests were made, including Afghan nationals, in connection with the case.