Court to hear separate trial plea of Provogue MD on Saturday

Mumbai, July 11 (UNI) A special NDPS court will hear on July 15, an application moved by Provogue Managing Director Salil Chaturvedi for a separate trial from others accused in the case of the alleged possession of cocaine and conspiracy to supply drugs.

The matter came up before Additional Sessions Judge B S Wasekar today, as the accused's counsel insisted on a separate trial, before the charges were framed against Salil.

They also informed the court that Salil had also engaged some lawyers from the Supreme Court to defend his application and, thus, sought adjournment.

The judge then fixed July 15 as the next date for hearing the application.

Police had filed a common chargesheet on September five last year against Salil and eight others under various sections of Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) for alleged possession of cocaine and trying to sell drugs.

Two police officials - Suresh Shinde and Shantilal Jadhav, who had allegedly tried to replace the cocaine powder recovered from Salil with boric powder had been charged under sections - 218 (tampering with evidence), 201 (disappearance of evidence) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), in the case.

Salil was arrested on August two last year for allegedly possessing three grams of cocaine powder at his residence and conspiring to supply drugs. He was granted bail on September six on the ground that the police did not have any evidence other than the cocaine seized from his house.

Earlier, police had arrested Allywn Sequeira while trying to smuggle three vials of coacaine at Santacruz airport. During investigations, he revealed that the original consignee of the vials was Vishal Meghnani, a former employee of Provogue, who was nabbed on July 26. He also secured bail on September 16.

UNI PVN KU/GK SI ND1420