Meet Ness Wadia Who Is Sentenced In Japan Over Drugs Possession

Ness Wadia, son of one of India’s wealthiest businessman, has been sentenced for drugs possession while on a skiing holiday to Japan.

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 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.

Here’s all you need to know about Ness Wadia:

1. He is the son of industrialist Nusli Wadia and heir to the 283-year-old Wadia group.
2. The Wadia empire has many units, which include Bombay Dyeing, Bombay Burman Trading, biscuit giant Britannia Industries to budget airline GoAir.
3. Ness Wadia is also the co-owner of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket team Kings XI Punjab.
4. The total market valuation of the Wadia group’s listed entities stands at $13.1 billion.
5. Ness Wadia was widely seen as his father’s likely successor until 2011 when he was replaced as managing director of Bombay Dyeing by his younger brother Jehangir Wadia.
6. He is currently the Managing Director of Bombay Burmah Trading Company Limited. He also serves as Director on boards of various Wadia group companies.
7. He was in the news in the past when Bollywood actor Preity Zinta accused him of molestation and intimidation in 2014. He strongly denied the allegations, which were dismissed by the Bombay High Court last year.
8. He is the great-grandson of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.