The Bombay High Court has granted bail to Kyle Cummings, a 23-year-old wrestler from Pune, who was arrested for ordering 281 grams of methamphetamine, or MDMA, from Belgium through a courier. Cummings, who represents India in international arm wrestling competitions, was arrested on May 21, 2024, along with two others, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) act.
The Special Investigation and Intelligence Branch (SIIB) intercepted a parcel from a foreign post based on some intelligence. When tested, the package was found to contain 230 grams of a white substance that initial tests confirmed to be MDMA. Officials forwarded the parcel to Yerwada, Pune, and set a trap.
When the courier, Shrawan Joshi, collected the parcel and paid the customs duty, he was arrested. Investigators then arrested Cummings and Aryan Haldankar, connecting them to the case. All three were booked under the NDPS Act.
Earlier, the court even rejected Cummings’ bail request, saying there was enough evidence to suggest his involvement in the case. However, during the High Court hearing, Cummings’ lawyer, Lakshmi Raman, argued that his arrest was illegal, citing a Supreme Court order that had earlier granted bail to Joshi on similar grounds.
Raman noted that the parcel was addressed to Joshi, who was granted bail as the main accused, and asked for the same release from Cummings. The prosecutor contested his plea, saying Cummings was the main conspirator, using Joshi’s name and address to order the importation of the goods.
However, Justice Manish Pitale, noted that the arrest of both Cummings and Joshi violated due process of law, as defined by the Supreme Court. Cummings was granted conditional bail, which includes reporting to the Aviation Special Cargo Commissioner in Andheri East, Mumbai, on the first Monday of every month until the trial ends.