Bombay HC Grants Conditional Bail to Pharma Manager in Rs 1.25 Crore Suspected Mephedrone Case
Aurangabad: A 57-year old environment, safety, and health manager at a multinational pharmaceutical company has been granted conditional bail by the Bombay High Court, in a high-profile suspected mephedrone seizure case.
Justice Sanjay Deshmukh ordered Kishor Pawar's (57), in Waluj MIDC release on a ₹50,000 personal bond, with strict instructions not to tamper with evidence or influence witnesses.
As per a media report in the Times of India, Pawar was arrested in June when police intercepted trucks carrying scrap material and reportedly recovered 2.5 kg of suspected mephedrone valued at ₹1.25 crore. An additional 961 grams of a similar substance were allegedly found at the company’s warehouse. He is the first among six accused to secure bail in the ongoing investigation.
The defence team, led by Rohit Kochar along with Abhaysinh Bhosale and Nachiketa Goyal, argued that Pawar was not named in the FIR and no narcotics were recovered from his personal possession. They emphasized that the company manufactures only export-oriented antihypertensive drugs. Forensic reports reportedly identified the seized powder as Valsartan and Hydrochlorothiazide, legitimate pharmaceutical ingredients rather than banned substances.
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The legal team also pointed out procedural irregularities during the investigation, such as the absence of a magistrate during sample collection, lack of videography, and delays in forensic lab reports, arguing that these lapses weakened the case against Pawar.
Times of India reports that the bail order highlights growing judicial scrutiny over narcotics-related investigations, especially where procedural and testing lapses raise doubts about the authenticity of alleged drug seizures.
The investigation continues, with five other accused still in custody.
