justln :
The case also a bit suspicious. He was never caught physically with the drugs, only communication only? It's a bit of a stretch.Tangaraju was sentenced to death in 2018 for “abetting the trafficking of more than one kilogram of cannabis (1,017.9 grams),” according to a statement from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB). The court found he was in phone communication with two other men caught trying to smuggle cannabis into Singapore.
“He never touched the cannabis he was accused of attempting to traffic. He was tied to the offense by two phone numbers found on the mobile phones of two men arrested by the CNB – one of which had been used to coordinate the cannabis delivery.”
“Tangaraju was already in remand for a separate offense by the time he was linked to this case – and his mobile phones were never recovered for analysis,” the group added.
According to his sister, Tangaraju turned down a plea bargain that the prosecution offered him before the case went to trial. He was first offered 20 years, then 15 years, and finally 12 years, in return for an early guilty plea. According to his family, Tangaraju rejected all these offers because he believed he could prove his innocence in court, as he was not caught in possession of the cannabis seized by the CNB, he didn't pay or receive any money for it, and there was no evidence that he placed an order for it.
Leela’s greatest regret is that Appu didn’t take the plea bargain that the prosecution offered him, before the case went to trial. According to his family, Appu was first offered 20 years, then 15 years, and finally, 12 years. He turned down all these offers because he believed he could prove his innocence in court.
If Appu had taken the plea bargain, he would have been a free man in three years. But because he decided to fight the charges against him, he faces the noose next week.
https://learningfromthemargins.substack.com/p/if-i-could-give-my-life-in-exchange
