SC denies bail to Delhi businessman in Mundra port drug haul case

The Supreme Court on Tuesday turned down the bail request of Delhi-based businessman Harpreet Singh Talwar, who is one of the keys accused in the massive ₹21,000 crore heroin seizure case linked to Gujarat's Mundra Port.
A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh, while rejecting Talwar's plea, said he can apply for bail again after six months. The court also dismissed, for now, the allegation that Talwar was involved in terror financing, calling the charge “premature.” At the same time, it directed the special trial court to fast-track the case by hearing it twice a month.
Talwar, known in Delhi’s nightlife circles as the owner of several popular clubs, was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in August 2022. His name surfaced in investigations that followed India’s biggest drug haul.
The case dates back to September 12, 2021, when containers arriving at Mundra Port from Afghanistan, routed through Iran, were declared as carrying talc stones. A closer inspection by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) revealed something far more sinister nearly 3,000 kilograms of heroin hidden inside, with an estimated street value of ₹21,000 crore.

Further probes uncovered that this was not a one-off shipment, but part of a long-running operation. Multiple arrests followed, including Afghan nationals suspected to be part of the network. The NIA later claimed that proceeds from the drug trade were being funnelled to fund activities of terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba.