A special court here on Friday allowed a Mexican citizen, arrested for alleged drug-smuggling, to take legal advice from a lawyer of his country.
Special Judge Krishnamurty Mishra, hearing cases filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, accepted the appeal of the accused, Jorge Solis Fernandez, in this regard.
The 43-year-old Mexican, in his appeal, said his mother tongue was Spanish and Indian lawyers did not understand the language.
So, he should be allowed to take the assistance of a Spanish-speaking Mexican lawyer, Fernandez contended.
The court allowed Fernandez's Mexican lawyer, Rafael Gonzalez, to hold a 15-minute meeting with his client at the district jail here and advise him on the case, after completing the formalities in accordance with the prison manual.
Fernandez, who, according to the police, is allegedly a member of an international drug cartel, is currently lodged in the district jail under judicial custody.
The court has already rejected his bail application.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had arrested Fernandez, along with two others, from Indore on September 27 last year on drug-smuggling charges.
A total of 10.91 kg of fentanyl hydrochloride, a narcotic substance, was seized from different premises of both the local accused in the case, the DRI had said, adding that Fernandez was an associate of the duo.
The price of the drug consignment was estimated to be more than Rs 100 crore in the international market.
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