PANAJI
In a major setback to the Crime Branch’s claim of busting an international drug syndicate, a South Goa court has discharged four co-accused in the multi-crore cocaine seizure case, citing lack of prima facie evidence.
The Court of the Additional Sessions Judge II at Margao discharged Chirag Dudhat, a husband-wife duo -- Reshma and Manguesh Wadekar -- and a Zimbabwean national in connection with the case registered by CB in April 2025.
The case pertains to the high-profile seizure of 4.325 kg of suspected cocaine valued at Rs 43.20 crore, which the probing team had described as a “massive international drug bust” when it was intercepted. The contraband, concealed in chocolate and coffee packets, was recovered during a delivery attempt, with the alleged main accused, Nibu Vincent, found in physical possession of the substance.
While Vincent was found in possession of drugs, the prosecution had alleged that the Wadekar couple procured the narcotics from abroad, Dudhat facilitated the operation by arranging flight tickets, and the Zimbabwean national was linked through alleged financial transactions.
During the hearing, counsel for Dudhat, Advocates Galileo Teles and Natasha Rai, argued that the prosecution had failed to produce any documentary evidence to establish that their client had transferred money or arranged travel for the co-accused. They pointed out that the chargesheet did not contain his bank statements and instead relied on the financial records of one Masoom Uikey, who is not connected to the accused.
The defence further contended that there was no evidence of any communication, including alleged WhatsApp exchanges, to suggest a conspiracy or “meeting of minds” between Dudhat and the other accused, which is a key requirement to invoke abetment under Section 29 of the NDPS Act.
Similarly, advocates S Dessai, A Gaonkar and S Sardinha, appearing for the other co-accused, argued that there was no material on record to demonstrate their involvement in procuring or financing the contraband.
Accepting the submissions, the court held that the prosecution had failed to place sufficient material to prima facie establish abetment or criminal conspiracy against the discharged accused. The court found that these allegations were not backed by substantive material.
Superintendent of Police (Crime Branch) Rahul Gupta had termed the case a “very important and massive drug bust,” crediting coordinated efforts of multiple units after the drug bust.
Investigating officer PI Laxi Amonkar was later awarded the Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation for intelligence inputs linked to the seizure.
