An Indian national who was accused of people smuggling in the garb of Commonwealth Games journalist has been released from custody after charges against him were dropped.
Rakesh Kumar Sharma was facing 20 years in jail after he was arrested along with eight Indian men during the Commonwealth Games and charged with people smuggling offences. The Australian Border Force had alleged that the media accreditation of the men Mr Sharma was accompanying was fraudulent.
The ABF said an Airline Liaison Officer in Bangkok had alerted them about the group on transit through Thailand. While the eight men who travelled with him were sent to immigration detention for removal from India, Mr Sharma was arrested.
46-year-old Mr Sharma- a journalist in Chandigarh in north India – had been in custody since March this year.
Source: Supplied/ ABF
On Monday, when he appeared in Brisbane Magistrate’s Court for a committal hearing on one charge of aggravated false documents, false or misleading information relating to non-citizens, the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecution told the court the case would not proceed further.
"Prior to committal, the CDPP reviewed the evidence that was available to be put before the court and assessed it accordance with the Prosecution Policy of the Commonwealth. It was determined that given the available evidence there was now no reasonable prospects of conviction," a CDPP spokesperson told SBS Punjabi.
The charge of aggravated people smuggling offence was withdrawn on June 22.
"This occurred following an assessment of the then available evidence in accordance with the Prosecution Policy of the Commonwealth, when it was determined that there were no reasonable prospects of conviction on that charge," the spokesperson said.
Mr Sharma, a resident of Kurukshetra (154 Km from Capital New Delhi) in Haryana had left home on March 27- two days before he was arrested at Brisbane International Airport.
His wife told the Hindustan Times that he had been to Australia earlier this year for five days. His Facebook timeline had his photos posing in the Commonwealth Games office on the Gold Coast. He was accredited to cover the Commonwealth Games.
The CDPP confirmed that Mr Sharma has been released from criminal custody following discontinuation of charges against him. He is likely to be removed from Australia.
