A bench led by Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh observed that the allegation of terror financing made against Talwar is “premature” at this stage. The Court, however, gave him the liberty to apply for bail again after six months.
New Delhi, May 13 : The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday dismissed the bail request of Delhi-based businessman Harpreet Singh Talwar, also known as Kabir Talwar, who is currently in custody for his alleged involvement in the Rs 21,000 crore drug haul at Mundra Port, Gujarat.
A bench led by Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh observed that the allegation of terror financing made against Talwar is “premature” at this stage. The Court, however, gave him the liberty to apply for bail again after six months.
Additionally, the Court directed the special NIA court handling the case to hear the matter twice every month to ensure that the trial moves forward quickly.
Earlier, on April 23, the Supreme Court had reserved its order on Talwar’s bail application after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) claimed that the proceeds from the drug sale were allegedly used to fund terror activities of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, a banned terrorist organisation. The Supreme Court on Tuesday said that the claim of terror funding is “premature” and needs further examination during the trial.
Biggest Drug Haul in India: 2988.21 kg Heroin Recovered
Talwar, who was known for operating well-known clubs in Delhi, was arrested by the NIA in August 2022. The case against him relates to one of the biggest drug seizures in the country’s history.
The drug haul dates back to September 12, 2021, when several containers arrived at Mundra Port in Gujarat from Afghanistan via Iran. These containers were declared to be carrying semi-processed talc stones.
However, acting on intelligence inputs, officers from the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) checked the containers on September 13, 2021. During the inspection, some of the bags were found to contain heroin instead of talc. Eventually, authorities recovered a massive 2988.21 kilograms of heroin, estimated to be worth Rs 21,000 crore in the international market.
The investigation also revealed that this was the sixth and final consignment connected to the drug racket, and it was intercepted just in time.
Following the seizure, the investigation widened, and several individuals were arrested, including foreign nationals from Afghanistan. Harpreet Singh Talwar was later arrested for his alleged role in the financing and coordination of the shipments.
Case Name: Harpreet Singh Talwar @ Kabir Talwar vs. The State of Gujarat
