The record
Written from the 1 report below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- A special NIA court in Ahmedabad acquitted six Pakistani fishermen and one Indian fisherman of smuggling 218 kg of heroin off the Gujarat coast in 2019, citing gaps in the prosecution's account of the seizure, including the absence of photographs or video of the recovery from the sea.
- However, the six Pakistani nationals were convicted of entering India without valid documents and sentenced to eight years' rigorous imprisonment, with their seven years in custody set off.
- The Indian fisherman, Ramjhan Gani Palani, was acquitted after the court found the chain of circumstances against him incomplete.
- The case stemmed from a May 2019 Coast Guard interception of the Pakistani boat Al-Madina near the maritime boundary off Jakhau.
What to watch next
- Whether the prosecution appeals the acquittal.
- Status of the Pakistani nationals after their sentence, given time served.
- Return of the Fezane Kirmani boat to Palani after verification.
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Named India · Pakistan · Al-Madina · Fezane Kirmani · Abdul Aziz · Abdul Gafur · Alahi Daad Angiyara · Azim Khan · Directorate of Revenue Intelligence · Forensic Science Laboratory in Bhuj · Hemang Rajendra Rawal · Indian Coast Guard · Mohammad Malah · National Investigation Agency
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