Venezuelan national arrested for carrying Cocaine granted bail

A special court in Mumbai has granted bail to a Venezuelan national, Balza Baptista Karen Darlenny, who was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in 2019 for carrying 796 grams of cocaine. The court’s decision came after concerns were raised about the slow pace of her trial.
The DRI arrested Darlenny, 27, at Mumbai airport after receiving a tip-off. She was taken for a medical examination at JJ Hospital, where she purged 80 capsules containing cocaine.
Special Public Prosecutor Leena Shinde opposed the bail, citing the seriousness of the crime and arguing that Darlenny might run away as she is a foreign national. “There is a syndicate behind the crime,” Shinde stated.
However, Darlenny’s lawyer, Khushal Parmar, argued that she had been in custody for five years without significant progress in the trial. “The prosecution has examined only two witnesses so far. The trial is not moving swiftly, and her right to a speedy trial is being violated,” Parmar said.
Darlenny, who only speaks Spanish, has two young children being cared for by her brother. Despite being granted bail, she cannot return home, as the court has directed her to remain in India until the trial concludes.
Special Judge CS Datir noted that the prosecution had listed 34 witnesses, but only a few had been examined. Given the slow progress, the court decided to grant bail. Darlenny was ordered to deposit her passport and must report to the DRI office twice a week.