Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court on Tuesday rejected the bail application of an accused in the narco-attentive case. The petitioner, although at the time of arrest, under the age of 18, was tried as an adult due to the serious nature of crime and the level of maturity by the Juvenile Justice Board as an adult.The minor was nominated in an FIR registered in Santa PS, which was under the relevant sections of the illegal activities (prevention) Act, NDPS Act, Arms Act, Foreign Act and ordinance of enemy agents.An investigation by the SIA revealed that the petitioner was actively assisting his colleagues and participating in the activities of an organized Narco-Atanka gang, which was involved in the smuggling of drugs and firearms in India from Pakistan, was told to the High Court.The kingpin of this gang was a Pakistan-based man named ‘Rana’, who was working with a motive to incite destruction activities using drugs as a terrorist currency. Rana was constantly in contact with Gurpreet Singh alias Billa, another prominent member of this gang. They were installed in their cellphones using virtual numbers and other encrypted and highly sophisticated applications, especially for the operation, the High Court was informed.Billa’s link with Rana was confirmed by a forensic investigation from screen recording captured by Billa, who was arrested in a hotel in Samba, while on a video call with his Pakistani counterparts. The petitioner was an associate of Billa, reported to the High Court.Justice Rajesh Sekhari noticed that Narco-Attankism was no longer limited to drugs and arms smuggling, but had emerged as a new front of the proxy war by opponents from across the border. The enemy has adopted a dual strategy to endanger India’s economic security, to instigate destructive activities and disrupt the social taunting of the country.The High Court stated that the petitioner was actively assisting and participating with its colleagues in the activities of an organized narco-conversion module, and thus, the benefits of the law could not be allowed to be withdrawn to “defeat the ends of justice”.
