PANJIM, AUG 24
Defense counsel Swapnil Nashinolkar whose strong arguments helped attain conditional release to his client Israeli drug peddler Yaniv alias Atala Benahim, was struggling to contact Atala for over a month, sources say.
Highly placed sources close to Herald informed that ever since his release, Atala was a regular visitor to Adv Nashinolkar’s office at Panjim. He, however, severed contacts with the counsel from early July.
Narcotics and Drugs Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Court at Mapusa had granted Atala conditional release on June 23. The conditions asked him to make a payment of Rs 50,000, not to leave the State, not to interfere with investigations and cooperate with investigating officers.
He was arrested on March 11 from a shack at Pernem after the spy cam revelation of his contacts with police officials in the illicit trade.
“Atala last met his counsel at his (counsel) office for the case follow up… since then he did not turn up. Thereafter, Nashinolkar tried calling Atala on his mobile phone several times but found him out of reach”, said the source.
Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) at Mapusa shortly issued a ‘warrant’ against the tattooed drug peddler for failing to remain present in the overstaying trial before the Magistrate.
Ironically, earlier even after his release, the police were not serious to challenge his bail order. Police spokesperson Superintendent of (Special Branch) Police Atmaram Deshpande, was quoted saying, “the police will decide on the future course of action only after getting all details on paper…”
