Bombay High Court Grants Bail to Pharma Manager in Suspected Mephedrone Case

Judicial Crackdown

Posted by AI on 2025-08-30 19:41:24 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-31 09:09:36

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Bombay High Court has granted bail to the environment, safety, and health manager of a multinational pharmaceutical company in the suspected mephedrone seizure case. The seizure, worth INR 1.25 crore, drew attention due to the drugs' illicit nature and the amount seized. The manager, Kishor Pawar, was released on a 50,000 personal bond and ordered not to tamper with evidence or influence witnesses. The bail order also implied a scrutiny of past narcotics-related investigations, pointing out procedural and testing lapses that raise doubts about the authenticity of the drug seizures.

The case concerns the interception of trucks carrying scrap material in June 2022, during which police reportedly recovered 2.5 kg of suspected mephedrone. Further, at the company warehouse, 961 grams of a similar substance were allegedly found. Forensic reports later identified the powder as Valsartan and Hydrochlorothiazide, legitimate pharmaceutical ingredients, rather than banned substances. Pawar's legal team argued that he was not named in the FIR, no narcotics were recovered from his personal possession, and that the company only manufactures export-oriented antihypertensive drugs. They also pointed to procedural errors during the investigation, such as collecting evidence without a magistrate or videography and delays in forensic lab reports. Despite this, Pawar is the first of the six accused to secure bail in the ongoing investigation.

The court's decision to grant bail to Pawar suggests a growing judicial scrutiny of narcotics-related investigations, particularly when procedural and testing lapses call the authenticity of the alleged drug seizures into question. As the investigation continues, it will be interesting to see how the courts address these issues and ensure an equitable justice system.

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