VERDICT ON PLEA AGAINST CLOSURE OF JASWANT CASE RESERVED

Case Relates to Alleged Serving of Opiate at a Feast Organised by BJP Leader

Police Had Closed the Case Filed Under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act

Controversial Function Was Held in Singh's Ancestral Home in Jassol Town of Barmer District

JAIPUR: A Special Court in Jodhpur on Monday reserved its verdict on a
petition against the police closing a case under the Narcotic Drugs
and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act filed last year in connection
with alleged serving of opiate at a feast organised by the Leader of
the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Jaswant Singh.

The petitioner, Omprakash Vishnoi, had approached the court once again
this time after the CID (Crime Branch) and the Balotra police station
authorities closed the case in July by filing an FR (final report).

The complainant said the case was closed under pressure from the
Government, before completion of the investigation.

The Special Judge Bhawani Shankar Kumawat has kept the next sitting in
the case for August 12.

There was no argument from the defence side.

It was Mr.Vishnoi, who claims to be a social worker, who had
approached the court in November last to get a case registered under
the NDPS Act against Mr. Jaswant Singh, Rajasthan Ministers Ghanshyam
Tiwari, Narpat Singh Rajvi and Madan Dilwar and senior BJP leaders
Kailash Meghwal, Raghuveer Singh Kaushal and Lalit Kishore Chaturvedi
and three others.

The controversial function was held in Mr. Singh’s ancestral home in
Jassol town of Barmer district to mark the end of a successful
“padayatra” by him and his son, local MP Manavendra Singh.

After the incident getting into headlines -- partly due to the fact
that the gathering comprised BJP leaders opposed to Chief Minister
Vasundhara Raje -- Mr. Singh as well as the Ministers had clarified
that what was served as “reyan” (offering of a customary drink laced
with opium) was “kesar” (saffron), and not “afiim”(opium).

Mr.Vishnoi in his argument in the court said the vessels in which the
drink was mixed were not examined in any laboratory for traces of opium.

The investigators did not cross-examine any of the accused or even try
to procure the video tapes, taken on the occasion by the media. “In
Marwar’s tradition ‘reyan’ meant serving of a drink laced with opium.
If it were saffron which was served as the accused were claiming, the
base of the drink would have been milk and not water,” he argued.

The CID-CB, which probed into the case -- registered at Balotra police
station under Sections 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 2 and 29 of the NDPS Act --
had closed the file with the observation that there was not enough
evidence to prove serving and consumption of opium at the event hosted
by Mr. Jaswant Singh.