When Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR) was found dead on the morning of June 15, 2020 in his Bandra apartment, one of the first people to see his dead body was his friend and apartment made Siddharth Pithani. Once the layers started to come off the mysterious death of SSR, Siddharth Pithani was found to have more than valuable information.
Pithani was interviewed by authorities in connection to SSR death and also for arranging and dealing in drugs. He has been charged for offences punishable under Sections 8(c), 20(b)(ii), 22, 27A, 28, 29 and 30 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
He had been absconding for a long time and was summoned three times but went into hiding.
Pithani was finally nabbed from Hyderabad on May 26 this year. After obtaining a transit warrant from a Hyderabad court, Pithani was produced before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at Esplanade, Mumbai where he was remanded him to police custody and to judicial custody.
Pithani was granted temporary bail for a period of 15 days to attend his wedding.
Also read: SSR Death case – Samuel Miranda statement
His application for a regular bail came up before a Special NDPS Court in Mumbai where judge VV Vidwans rejected Pithani’s bail application.
In the court Pithani is pleading that he had been falsely framed in the matter no contraband was found on him by the police.
Pithani pleaded that he has been implicated after his co-accused in the case, Samuel Miranda and Dipesh Sawant named him. He pleaded that both Samuel Miranda and Dipesh Sawant were out on bail.
Pithani also pleaded, citing the Bombay High Court judgement delivered in the Rhea Chakraborty case that claimed that the allegation of buying and selling of ganja does not fall within the scope of Section 27A (financing drugs or substances or harbouring offenders) of the NDPS Act.
Convincing the judge, the lawyers for the NCB submitted that there was enough incriminating material recovered from Pithani’s cell phone and laptop. His phone and laptop had the evidence according to the NCB that Pithani used to arrange and consume narcotic drugs and substances in large quantity during his stay with SSR.
They argued that the fact that Pithani arranged for the drugs made his role pivotal in the commission of the offences and clearly made out a case against him.
“Considering the sensitivity of the matter, enlarging the Applicant on bail who is knowing such persons personally and has knowledge of the information, may not be prudent in the given facts and circumstances,” NDPS lawyers submitted.
After hearing both sides arguments, the Special NDPS Court judge Vidwans dismissed Pithni’s bail application.
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