High Court finds DRI allegations against man booked under drug act 'unbelievable'; grants him bail

Harish Joshi, an NRI from Canada, was mysteriously picked up by officials from the Department of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on charges of possessing over 5 kg of contraband heroin on September 8, 2008.

Sixty-four-year-old Joshi was booked under the stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (possessing and smuggling of narcotic drugs).

But on Tuesday, within four months of his arrest, Joshi was granted bail and walked out a free man. The Delhi High Court, while granting Joshi bail, could only find loopholes in the DRI case. The DRI, it seemed, had lied to the court.

One of the most conspicuous loopholes involved the place from where Joshi was arrested. As the media reported, Joshi was picked up from the gate of his residence in DLF City Phase-V.

Even Gurgaon Commissioner of Police Mohinder Lal had visited the spot outside the Exclusive Floors Housing Society from where Joshi was held. However, in a complete U-turn, the DRI officials, in papers submitted to the court, claimed to have arrested Joshi from near the Shiv Murti temple in Mahipalpur.

As per the DRI, its officials had allegedly left their office along with a witness at 4.45 pm and Joshi's vehicle was intercepted after a chase at 7.50 pm at Mahipalpur. However, according to the police complaint filed by Surender Kumar, the supervisor of Joshi's society, the NRI was abducted from outside his residence at around 7 pm.

The court termed the DRI version of Joshi's chase and interception "unbelievable." The court pointed out that the car in which the DRI alleged Joshi was travelling, had to pass through the MG Road and the highway toll plaza, where it must have slowed or stopped. "While driving past the toll plaza, the car driver must have stopped to buy a token to enter Delhi. The DRI officials could have easily arrested Joshi there," said Justice Aruna Suresh.

MiD DAY tried to contact the director-general of Revenue Intelligence but he could not be contacted despite repeated phone calls.