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Ness Wadia Sentenced In Japan Over Drugs Possession

Ness, who is the co-owner of Kings XI Punjab team, is the eldest son of Nusli Wadia and heir to the 283-year-old Wadia group.

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Ness Wadia Sentenced In Japan Over Drugs Possession
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Ness Wadia, the son of one of India's wealthiest businessman, was reportedly sentenced for a two-year jail term in Japan for possession of drugs.

Ness, who is the co-owner of Kings XI Punjab team, is the eldest son of Nusli Wadia and heir to the 283 Wadia group.

According to a report by the Financial Times, Ness Wadia was arrested in early March at New Chitose Airport in the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

According to a brief report carried 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 about 25g of what appeared to be cannabis resin in his trouser pocket.

The Wadia empire has many units, which include Bombay Dyeing, Bombay Burman Trading, biscuit giant Britannia Industries to budget airline GoAir and a share in IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab with the total market valuation of its listed entities standing at $13.1 billion.

A court official in Sapporo told the Financial Times that Wadia admitted to possession, arguing that the drug was for his personal use.

Japan's narcotics laws are strict and are currently being applied especially tightly.

Wadia spent a period in detention before his indictment on March 20 and an undisclosed period of detention before a court hearing.

(With inputs from agencies)