Mumbai drug bust: Father of arrested Odisha accused says seized contraband was for consumption only
By Mahendra Carjee
ROURKELA (ODISHA), OCT. 7 : Udaya Rajgaria, father of Manish Rajgaria who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Tuesday along with three others in connection with the sensational drug bust on a cruise ship off Mumbai coast, has said the contraband found in possession of his son was meant for consumption only.
The NCB had nabbed Manish with 2.4 gram of ganja (cannabis) on the latter’s arrival at the Mumbai port on Monday. He was put under arrest the next day and remanded to the NCB custody till October 11 along with fellow Odia Avin Sahoo and two alleged drug peddlers, Shreyas Nair and Abdul Kadir Sheikh.
“The Ganja was found in a cigarette. It was for self-consumption and Manish is not involved in any drug peddling. Besides, he has no links with anyone,” said Uday, a businessman of Civil Township area of Rourkela in Odisha.
He further said that a total of 37 people, including Manish and his four-five friends, had gone to Mumbai from Rourkela on vacation.
“He has not committed any such crime. The incident is being highlighted beyond proportions,” Manish’s father said.
The NCB, which produced them in the special NDPS court on Monday, had also said that 2.4 gram of ganja was seized from Manish while Avin confessed to have consumed ganja twice on board the cruise liner during the rave party. Both were intercepted after the ship was docked at the Mumbai port for the second time on Monday.
As per the NCB, both Avin and Manish had joined the party as guests. It is not clear from where they had procured the drugs or consumed it even as the NCB told the court that they will be interrogated to reveal the source.
