MAPUSA
Curlies owner, Edwin Nunes, who was arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) in the Sonali Phogat murder case, told a Mapusa court on Tuesday that Goa Police appeared to be acting under pressure and trying to “frame” him in the drugs case.
Nunes, along with two other drug peddlers, has been arrested in the alleged murder of BJP leader and actor Sonali Phogat under the NDPS Act. He has been accused of running the Curlies restaurant and therefore guilty of abetting the crime.
He was seeking bail in the case.
Nunes’ lawyer, senior counsel Surendra Desai told the NDPS court judge Sharmila Patil that his client was not involved not only in murder but also in drug trafficking and the police were trying to frame him due to political pressure.
He said Curlies restaurant was started in the 1980s and for the last 40 years no cases of drugs have ever come up in the premises leave alone registering any cases against those running the place.
Desai said the drugs were purchased and consumed by Sonali Phogat and her two associates at the Grand Leoney Resort where they were staying but till today no action was taken on the hotel.
“Why is no action being taken against that hotel? It’s because it belongs to a friend of a local politician. This is how the police investigate. Police should be asked why no action is taken against the resort where the actual drugs were exchanged and consumed,” Desai said.
He said the police panchanama itself states that the drug was purchased and consumed in that hotel where they were residing and later mixed in the water and consumed on the dance floor of the Curlies restaurant.
The lawyer said the CCTV footage of Curlies show that drugs were not sourced from the restaurant and it came from outside.
“Curlies has been entertaining customers for the last 40 years without any issues. Some people must be clandestinely bringing some substance but that does not mean I traffic drugs,” he said.
He further said that the CCTV footage also showed that the deceased was already drugged when she was brought to the Curlies that night.
“Prima facie there is no offence of any crime made out against me. There is no material to arrest me,” Desai said.
Opposing bail to the accused, Public Prosecutor, Ralston Barretto said police investigation shows that Edwin Nunes is incharge of the operations of Curlies restaurant.
“He is the sole person responsible. In that line having failed to stop activities in the premises is treated of having abetted the same. He failed to stop the activities in the premises which led to the unfortunate death of one person. Therefore he is complicit of whatever has happened there,” Barretto said.
Incidentally, police have also filed an application before the NDPS court seeking police remand for Nunes and the other two drug traffickers.
The adhoc district judge Sharmila Patil has fixed the order on bail of Edwin Nunes and the remand against the trio on Wednesday (September 7).
