A Mumbai court has remanded Mohammad Salim Dola, an alleged associate of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, to the custody of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) till May 8 in connection with a drug trafficking case involving the seizure of mephedrone.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate K S Zanwar recently observed that the accused had been absconding for a considerable period and had not cooperated with the investigation. Considering the gravity of the offence, his alleged role in an international narcotics syndicate, and his criminal antecedents, the court held that custodial interrogation was necessary for effective investigation.
Dola was brought to India from Turkey after being detained pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice issued at India’s request. He was first produced before a Delhi court, which granted transit remand to the NCB, and was subsequently transferred to Mumbai and produced before the jurisdictional magistrate.
The remand has been granted in connection with a 2023 case involving the seizure of around 20 kg of mephedrone. The prosecution informed the court that earlier investigation had led to the arrest of a co-accused, who allegedly disclosed that he regularly procured large quantities of the contraband from Dola.
According to the NCB, the accused used digital communication platforms to coordinate the delivery of narcotic substances at pre-arranged locations, and the proceeds of crime were handled through cash transactions. The agency has also relied on financial records to trace an alleged money trail linked to the accused.
The prosecution further submitted that Dola was linked to multiple criminal cases being investigated by different agencies, including the Mumbai Police Anti-Narcotic Cell and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence. It was also indicated that other agencies may seek his custody for further investigation.
Opposing the remand, defence counsel argued that the investigating agency had not provided adequate details of the allegations at the stage of transit remand and questioned the necessity of custodial interrogation.
The court, however, accepted the prosecution’s submissions and granted custody, noting that the accused needs to be confronted with documentary evidence, statements of co-accused, and digital material collected during the probe. The ACJM clarified that the remand order was limited to facilitating investigation and did not amount to finding any guilt. The accused would be presumed innocent unless proven guilty in accordance with the law.