NEW DELHI: Business tycoon and heir to the Wadia Group, Ness Wadia sentenced to 2-year jail term in Japan over possession of drugs while on a skiing holiday to the country.
The Financial Times has reported that Ness Wadia was arrested in early March at New Chitose Airport in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
According to a report by a local Hokkaido station of state broadcaster NHK, customs officials at New Chitose were alerted to Wadia by sniffer dogs and a search revealed that he had in possession of 25 grams of cannabis resin in his trouser pocket, for which he has been sentenced.
Wadia, heir to the 283-year-old Wadia Group and co-owner of the Kings XI Punjab cricket team, sits on the boards of various group companies including low-cost airline GoAir.
Following arrest in Japan, Wadia is reported to have spent a period in detention before his indictment on March 20.
The Sapporo District Court handed Wadia a two-year prison sentence, which was suspended for five years, the Financial Times reported.
Maintaining that the jail term by a Japanese court for Ness Wadi in a drug case remains suspended, the business conglomerate on Tuesday said that the development will not impact Wadia Group heir in discharging his responsibilities.
“The judgement is clear. It is a suspended sentence. Hence it will not impact Ness Wadia in the discharge of any of his responsibilities and he will continue to play the role that he has done hitherto, both within the Group and outside,” Wadia Group spokesperson said in a statement.
He confirmed that Wadia is currently in India.
In 2014, Bollywood actress and his his former girlfriend, actor Preity Zinta accused him of molestation during an IPL match in Mumbai. The case was later withdrawn by Zinta.
With agency inputs