Grant of Bail – Intermediary Quantity under NDPS Act – Rigor of Section 37 Not Applicable – Bail Granted – The applicant was charged with possession of 14.700 grams of Mephedrone, which is below the commercial quantity threshold. The court held that the rigors of Section 37 of the NDPS Act were inapplicable and considered the completion of investigation and filing of charge...
Criminal Procedure – Anticipatory Bail – Section 438 Cr.P.C. – Application for Anticipatory Bail Post-Cancellation of Bail – Maintainability Challenged – The petitioner sought anticipatory bail after the addition of a graver offence (Section 376 I.P.C.) during investigation. The State challenged the maintainability of the petition, arguing that the petitioner should h...
Bail Application – Repeated Regular Bail Plea – Filing of Chargesheet Not a Substantial Change of Circumstances – Application Rejected - The applicant sought regular bail on the grounds of completion of investigation, delay in filing the FIR, absence of medical evidence, and alleged non-involvement in the crime – Held: Filing of the chargesheet does not constitute a substan...
Bail Application – Opportunity to Present Case – Violation of Section 45 PMLA – Directorate of Enforcement (ED) contended that they were not given a proper opportunity to oppose the bail application – Vacation Judge denied oral prayer for stay of bail – Failure to fulfill mandatory twin conditions of Section 45 PMLA [Para 2(i), 5].
Vicarious Liability –...
NDPS - Bail – Prolonged Custody – Concession Allowed – The petitioner, a first-time offender, was in custody since 05.09.2021 with only 09 out of 20 prosecution witnesses examined – Held: Delay in trial and prolonged custody warranted relaxation of Section 37 NDPS Act conditions in light of Article 21 of the Constitution – Bail granted [Paras 9-10].
Judicial Preceden...
Multiple Bail Applications – Consolidated Disposal – Section 483 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita – Bail Granted – The petitioner was accused in multiple cases for non-payment of dues to victims for cardamom purchases. He had been in custody since 29.05.2024. The Court held that indefinite incarceration was unnecessary and released the petitioner on bail subject to str...
Statutory Bail – Delay in Filing Final Report – Section 167(2) CrPC – Bail Granted – Petitioners were in custody for over 177 days, and the prosecution failed to file the final report within the stipulated 60 days as required under Section 167(2) CrPC. Despite the existence of criminal antecedents, the Court held that the petitioners are entitled to statutory bail. The cont...
NDPS Act – Section 67 Statements – Admissibility – The applicant’s role was primarily established through statements recorded under Section 67 of the NDPS Act – Following Toofan Singh v. State of Tamil Nadu, such statements are inadmissible as confessions under the Evidence Act – Held: Section 67 statements cannot sustain a prima facie case for continued detenti...
NDPS - Transfer of Investigation – Allegations of Bias and Procedural Irregularities – Investigation Ordered – Petitioner alleged false implication in an NDPS case and failure of the local police to preserve CCTV footage despite court orders – Court directed transfer of investigation to a senior police officer from another district, emphasizing the importance of impartialit...
Criminal Law – Proclamation Proceedings – Compliance with Section 82 Cr.P.C. – Proclamation Against Absconder – Procedural Requirements – Quashment of Proclamation – The petitioner challenged the proclamation order issued under Section 82 Cr.P.C., claiming it was not executed per mandatory requirements – It was argued that no public reading of the proclama...