Uttarakhand HC denies bail to man accused of sending opium to Canada via courier

Dehradun: Uttarakhand high court has refused to grant bail to Nikhil Kumar from Udham Singh Nagar district, who is accused of attempting to send opium to Canada through a courier parcel, observing that the "prosecution had sufficient evidence against him".The applicant, a resident of Kichcha area, was booked under the NDPS Act at the Regional Office Police Station of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Zonal Unit, Dehradun. He has been in judicial custody since Nov 4, 2025.On Oct 3, a parcel bound for Canada was booked at a private courier agency in Shastri Market, Kichcha. Acting on specific inputs, an NCB team intercepted the consignment. During inquiry, it was revealed that the parcel had been sent in the name of one Vishal Kumar, whose Aadhaar card had allegedly been misused. Upon examination, investigators discovered a sticky substance concealed in plastic foil inside a carton. The substance was subsequently tested and confirmed to be opium.Opposing the bail plea, the state submitted that the agency owner had clearly identified Nikhil as the person who booked the parcel on Sept 21, 2025.Dismissing the plea, a single bench of Justice Ashish Naithani on Feb 18 held that "the booking of the parcel by Nikhil was established through CCTV footage, witness identification and the misuse of an Aadhaar card, which proved his role beyond doubt".