The Supreme Court on Thursday did not allow a National Investigation Agency (NIA) plea seeking the cancellation of the bail granted to accused Harpreet Singh Talwar, alias Kabir Talwar, a Delhi-based bizman, in the Mundra port drugs haul case, saying the agency could seek overturning of the order if he influences witnesses.
The court expressed unwillingness to consider the plea for cancellation of bail.
Additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the NIA, told a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana that the offences alleged are grave and have the provision of life imprisonment as the maximum sentence. The agency got hold of the narcotics and “we do not know how many such consignments have come”, she said.
The law officer then urged the bench to say that the April 10 Gujarat high court order granting bail to Talwar be not treated as precedent enabling other co-accused to seek bail on similar grounds.
The high court had granted bail to Talwar after taking note of the fact that all of the 23 sensitive witnesses relevant with regard to Talwar’s role in the case had been examined. 24. He was behind bars since 2022, before he was granted bail by the high court.
Before this, the high court had granted bail to two other accused — Ishwar Singh, who turned approver for the NIA, and Durga Purna Govindaraju Vaishali, the only woman accused in this case. The NIA has filed multiple chargesheets in this case against many persons, and Talwar was named as accused no.
It further said the other co-accused cannot seek bail on the grounds of parity in the case as several witnesses are yet to be examined by the special court. The bail applications, if any, of other accused have to be treated on merits, it said.
