New Delhi: Alleged drug syndicate kingpin Kishan Singh has been repatriated to India from London after the UK allowed his extradition to stand trial here in a 2017 case.
Singh is accused of supplying party drugs to rave parties. His extradition comes after a two-year-long legal battle.
Charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), Singh is accused of supplying amphetamines, mephedrone, also known as meow meow, and other recreational party drugs to India between 2016 and 2017. The Delhi Police’s special cell had busted the drug racket in February 2017.
Police sources told ThePrint that 38-year-old Singh was presented in court Monday and will now be remanded to police custody after seven days in Tihar.
“Kishan Singh will be lodged in Tihar jail for a seven-day quarantine period and then the police will take him into custody,” a senior police officer said.
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Kingpin of the cartel
Kishan Singh is a UK citizen and is a native of Rajasthan, India. Police sources said Singh had acquired British citizenship in 2015, having migrated in 2009. He was residing in Hayes, London.
According to the police, he was engaged in procuring high-quality psychotropic drugs in the UK. He was apprehended by British authorities in 2018 on request from India but was later granted bail.
In May 2019, after the Westminster Magistrates’ Court ordered Singh’s extradition to India, he had challenged the order on grounds that he would not get a fair trial if he were sent back to the country.
According to the police, Kishan Singh headed a drug cartel and his associates included Amandeep Singh, Harish Sarpal and former athlete Harpreet Singh.
During investigation, the trio allegedly told police that they joined Singh’s cartel due to financial issues and wanted to lead a lavish lifestyle.
Peddling ‘meow meow’ worth 50 crore
The case came to light after the arrest of three in February 2017. Of the three, Harpreet Singh was a former discus thrower who had won a silver medal in the 2004 Youth Commonwealth Games in Australia.
The athlete allegedly got involved in the drug syndicate after his career was cut short due to a foot injury and sanctions were imposed on him for failing a dope test in 2012.
The other two, Harnish Sarpal and Amandeep Singh, were also apprehended by police after 25 kg mephedrone worth over Rs 50 crore was allegedly recovered from them.
(Edited by Arun Prashanth)
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Kishan Singh, despite being a UK citizen obviously is not a high paying client to the British government like Mallya or Modi, so was sent back in 3 years. Let us hope Mallya & Modi will follow.
UK doesn’t deport financial criminals as they bring their corrupt money to UK .