The Punjab and Haryana High Court refused bail to Gurmukh Singh and Gurmej Singh, accused in a narco terror case involving drone based smuggling of drugs, arms and explosives from Pakistan to allegedly finance terrorism in India, according to the court.
CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has denied bail to two individuals involved in a case concerning the smuggling of narcotics, arms, and explosives from Pakistan through drones to finance terrorism in India.
The decision was made by a division bench comprising Justices Gurvinder Singh Gill and Ramesh Kumari.
The court refused bail to Gurmukh Singh, the son of former Akal Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode, and Gurmej Singh.
The bench noted that financing terrorism is an “expensive affair” and indicated that heroin is being smuggled into the country from the border to support terrorist actions.
The High Court stated,
“The facts brought on record by the respondent NIA prima facie prove the involvement of the appellants in the terrorist activities. The trial is in progress. Since they have links with persons across the border, who fund their activities, there are also chances of their absconding from trial,”
Both Gurmukh Singh and Gurmej Singh approached the high court after an NIA court in Punjab denied their bail applications and rejected their appeals.
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The investigation suggests that the accused maintained connections with individuals residing outside India, including contacts in Pakistan, who were allegedly involved in supporting terror funding networks.
Authorities also claimed to have recovered significant amounts of cash along with explosives, arms, and ammunition from locations linked to the case.
The FIR invokes provisions of multiple statutes, including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for terror related offences, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) for drug trafficking, and applicable sections of the Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act for possession and handling of weapons and explosives.
In dismissing their appeals, the high court bench remarked that the appellants are part of anti-national elements engaged in narco terrorism, highlighting a concerning connection between narcotics and terrorism.
The bench emphasized that evidence shows that money generated from the sale of narcotics smuggled from abroad is utilized for financing terrorism, and the accused are actively involved in these activities in India at the direction of their associates operating from across the border in Pakistan.
Gurmukh Singh’s lawyer argued that during the investigation, police recorded the testimony of one of the co-accused and implicated him in this case “due to political reasons.”
Case Title: Gurmej Singh v. Union of India and Another
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