Case dismissed by court in New York City.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Hotel scion Vikram Chatwal has beaten the charges levied against him after he was found in possession of a large amount of drugs while trying to board a plane last year.
Chatwal’s case has officially been dismissed by the 17th Circuit Court in New York, reports The New York Post. Chatwal (41) was arrested in April of last year and charged with possession and attempting to smuggle controlled substances, after being found with several pills, some cocaine, and marijuana on his person while boarding a plane.
TSA agents in Fort Lauderdale found 21 white pills, five grams of cocaine, and one-eighth of an ounce of marijuana. The charges were serious enough to warrant a potential 20-year prison sentence, but Chatwal checked himself into a court-approved drug rehab program and successfully completed the entire three-step, one year-long process, winning his freedom in the eyes of the court.
Chatwal has a long history of substance issues, and seems to have now kicked the habit for good. He has already been in rehab at least twice, to treat his alcohol abuse. A notorious playboy, he has been linked to several actresses and supermodels over the course of his career, including Lindsay Lohan, who herself is no stranger to drug and alcohol-related issues.
The son of hotel magnate Sant Singh Chatwal, he is a graduate of the United Nations International School and the University of Pennsylvania. Chatwal helps to oversee the Dream Hotel and other locations. His father is currently facing legal woes of his own, and is facing a possible five-year sentence after pleading guilty to campaign finance fraud last month.
Most recently, the junior Chatwal filed a lawsuit against his former fiancée, Esther Cañadas (37) for suddenly cancelling their engagement without giving back the ring – which cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $300,000. Chatwal also had a brief stint as an actor, appearing in Hollywood productions like 2001’s Zoolanderand Bollywood’s Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2006).