Family freed of coke trafficking charge

A man, his wife and daughters who were convicted and fined $10,000 each for possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking were yesterday freed by the Court of Appeal, which included Chief Justice Sat Sharma and Justice Allan Mendonca, who sat on his first appeal case after being elevated to the Court of Appeal last Friday.

Indar Gulcharan, his wife Dularie and daughter Yashmattie, of Dulanie Street, Felicity, Chaguanas, won their appeal which was argued by attorney Bindra Dolsingh. Representing the State was special prosecutor Ronnie Boodoosingh. Five members of the Gulcharan family were arrested and charged on February 20, 1993, when a police party raided their home and allegedly seized 74 foil packets of cocaine in a bottle under a couch in the middle room of the house.

Two of Gulcharan’s daughters were freed at the Chaguanas Magistrate’s Court on January 10, 1997,  but the others were convicted and fined with an alternative of serving six months imprisonment. After hearing arguments, the court quashed the convictions and set aside the sentences.