Added At: 2014-07-15 11:08 PM
Last Updated At: 2014-07-15 11:08 PM
LEKHANATH PANDEY
KATHMANDU: Former crown prince Paras Shah was arrested in Bangkok on Thursday evening on the charge of possessing cannabis.
The Embassy of Nepal in Thailand confirmed that it was notified by Thai Police that the former royal was detained on July 10 and was in judicial custody. He was presented before a court in Bangkok today.
Talking to THT, Officiating Foreign Secretary Shankar Das Bairagi confirmed his arrest and said details of the case were being sought.
“The government has been informed by the Nepali Embassy in Bangkok that former crown prince was arrested there,” he added.
The Department of Consular Affairs has already apprised Paras’s family about his arrest in Bangkok, a foreign ministry source said.
The source claimed that Paras was charged with possessing at least two six-gram packets of marijuana, but the officials at the MoFA and Nepali Embassy did not confirm that.
It is the third time that Paras was arrested in Thailand, and second time in possession of contraband drug.
He was arrested in Thai resort island of Phuket in possession of marijuana in October 2012.
Later, he was released on bail before being detained again for vandalising property at a luxury apartment in Bangkok in December 2012.
He may not get bail this time, as he has already faced the same charge.
An Embassy official told THT that the Thai Police had not given any other detail about his detention, stating that investigating was going on. They didn’t even reveal where Paras was being kept.
Paras was in coma for weeks after suffering a massive cardiac arrest, supposedly from a drug overdose, in February last year.
After getting discharged from the Samitivej Sukhumvit Hospital after 38 days‚ he was admitted to Chiang Mai-based Chance Rehabilitation Centre.
Paras has been residing in Chiang Mai, in the northern Thailand, about 600 kilometres from the Thai capital.
Thai law on punishment
KATHMANDU: The Thai Police was investigating whether Paras possessed the drugs for personal consumption or for peddling. The severity of punishment will depend on that.
As per the Thai law, cannabis is prohibited under the Narcotics Act. Producers, exporters and importers of cannabis are liable for imprisonment between two and 15 years and/or a fine of 200,000 to 1.5 million Thai baht, as are those found in possession of over 10kg with intent to supply.
Possession with intent to supply 10kg or less may incur prison sentences of two to 10 years and/or a fine of 40,000 to 200,000 baht.
Paras is likely to be charged for simple possession of cannabis, which is punishable by a maximum of five-year imprisonment and/or a fine of up to 100,000 baht.
Paras detained with cannabis in Bangkok
No comments:
Post a Comment