Ness Wadia Sentenced to 2-Year Jail Term for Possession of Drugs
Image Courtesy: IANS
New Delhi: Ness Wadia, heir to Nusli Wadia’s Group of companies and joint owner of the Kings XI Punjab IPL cricket team, has been sentenced to a two-year prison term in Japan for possessing drugs, says a report by the Financial Times.
According to the report, Wadia was found in possession of 25 grams of cannabis resin in March, for which he has been sentenced. He was arrested in Japan in March.
However, after the news became public on Tuesday morning, the $ 13.1 billion Wadia Group, which consists of companies such as Bombay Dyeing, Britannia Industries, GoAir among others, maintained that that the jail term by a Japanese court remained suspended, and that the development would not impact the Wadia Group heir in discharging his responsibilities, an IANS report said.
"The judgement is clear. It is a suspended sentence. Hence it will not impact Ness Wadia in the discharge of any of his responsibilities and he will continue to play the role that he has done hitherto, both within the Group and outside," Wadia Group spokesperson said in a statement.
He confirmed that Wadia is currently in India, IANS said
According to the Financial Times report, Ness was found in possession of 25 gram drugs at the New Chitose Airport in the Japanese island of Hokkaido, and at the time of arrest, he had admitted to possessing the cannabis, which he said was meant for personal consumption.
The report said that the business tycoon spent a period in detention before his indictment on March 20 and an undisclosed period of detention before a court hearing, according to India Today.
It may be recalled that in 2014, Ness was accused by Hindi film actor Preity Zinta of molestation. Both are co-owners of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kings XI Punjab. The case was later withdrawn by Zinta.
As per IANS, according to a “report by a local Hokkaido station of state broadcaster NHK, customs officials at New Chitose were alerted to Wadia by sniffer dogs and a search revealed that he had about 25g of what appeared to be cannabis resin in his trouser pocket.”
The Sapporo District Court handed Wadia a two-year prison sentence, which was suspended for five years, the Financial Times reported.
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