Bhopal, March 9 In the case of notorious smuggler Babu Sindhi and seizure of 25,000 kg of narcotics substance, a special court in Madhya Pradesh's Neemuch has delivered its much-anticipated verdict late Saturday evening.
Three smugglers, including the ringleader Babu Sindhi, have been slapped 15-year sentences each, while five others walked free.
Special Judge NDPS Act (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act), Jitendra Kumar Bajolia, pronounced the judgement in the case, which spanned Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The court found Jaikumar alias Babu Sindhi guilty alongside his accomplices.
The court handed down 15-year sentences and imposed a hefty fine of Rs 2 lakh, ending a four-year trial that had all eyes riveted on the Neemuch court.
On August 27, 2021, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CBN) raided Neemuch's industrial area, seizing a staggering 25,000 kg of narcotics from a warehouse linked to Babu Sindhi.
The raid led to the immediate arrest of Sindhi and his associates, sparking a year-long investigation by the CBN.
In court, the CBN presented a voluminous 1,650-page dossier to document the case.
The defence consul was countered with compelling evidence, unmasking a vast smuggling network masquerading as a poppy seed trade.
Babu Sindhi, earning Rs 30 to 40 lakh daily from the narcotics trade, funnelled his illicit gains into real estate.
With SAFEMA (Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators Act) in place, authorities seized properties worth crores of rupees, registered in the names of Babu Sindhi and his wife.
The court, examining every piece of evidence, confirmed large-scale drug trafficking operations.
Consequently, Babu Sindhi, Rajendra Sharma, and Anurag Airan faced 15-year sentences and Rs 2 lakh fines, with an additional year of imprisonment for defaulting on the fine.
Of the 10 accused, five individuals -- Ashok Dangi, Saurabh Kochatta, Prakash alias Golu Motwari, Pankaj Kumawat, and Kailash Gadiya -- were acquitted due to insufficient evidence.
Constable Pankaj Kumawat, initially dismissed for his involvement with the smugglers, was among those acquitted.
Meanwhile, two accused, Vinod Gurjar and Shivcharan Gurjar, remain at large.
The notorious Babu Sindhi, already in jail for three-and-a-half years, had secured parole using a fraudulent medical certificate.
During this temporary freedom, he orchestrated a violent attack on social worker Ashok Arora.
With his parole revoked, Sindhi now faces the grim prospect of serving his full jail sentence.
Key revelations emerged, as the court identified Babu Sindhi as the kingpin of the smuggling ring.
Despite his defence claiming the warehouse belonged to Kailash Gadiya, the CBN debunked the rental agreement as a forgery, resulting in Gadiya's acquittal.
This gripping case has finally reached its conclusion, with Babu Sindhi and his associates facing the consequences of their actions.
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