Bail in NDPS Cases – Prolonged Incarceration – Section 21 and 29 of NDPS Act – Bail Granted – The petitioner, accused of possessing intermediate quantity of contraband, has been in custody for over one year and three months, with trial expected to take considerable time – Out of 23 prosecution witnesses, only four have been examined, with delay not attributable to the...
NDPS Act – Quashing - Admissibility of Statements under Section 67 – Reliance on Co-Accused’s Statement Quashed – The petitioner was implicated in the case solely based on the confessional statements of co-accused under Section 67 of the NDPS Act. Held: Such statements, being inadmissible under Section 25 of the Evidence Act as per Tofan Singh v. State of Tamil Nadu, cannot...
Bail Application – NDPS Act – Long Incarceration – Section 439 Cr.P.C – Sections 18, 21, 25, and 29 of NDPS Act – Petition filed seeking regular bail citing prolonged incarceration (over 2.5 years) and non-compliance with procedural requirements in the investigation – Held: Restrictions under Section 37 of the NDPS Act are outweighed by the right to a speedy tri...
Bail in NDPS Cases – Possession of Commercial Quantity – Section 37 NDPS Act – Rigorous Conditions for Bail – Applicant was accused of possessing 220 grams of Mephedrone (MD), a quantity far exceeding the commercial threshold – Section 37 of the NDPS Act imposes stringent conditions for bail, requiring the court’s satisfaction that the accused is not guilty and ...
Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 – Taxi Driver – Possession of Contraband – Appellant, a taxi driver, prosecuted under the NDPS Act for recovery of 20 kilograms of ganja from his vehicle – Passengers fled the scene upon interception by police – Trial court convicted appellant based on inability to provide details of passengers – High Court up...
Criminal Law – NDPS Act – Compliance with Section 50 – Acquittal Upheld – The prosecution’s appeal questioned the acquittal on grounds that the Special Court gave undue importance to minor discrepancies and failed to appreciate substantial compliance with the NDPS Act – The High Court observed that the Investigating Officer improperly offered himself as an optio...
Criminal Law – NDPS Act – Conviction under Section 15-C – Appeal – Procedural Violations – Acquittal Granted – Procedural Lapses – Conviction Under Section 15-C of NDPS Act Set Aside – Appellant Avtar Singh’s appeal against conviction allowed due to non-compliance with mandatory procedures under the NDPS Act – Trial Court had sentenced th...
NDPS Act – Interim Release of Seized Vehicle – Principles and Applicability – Appeal against Gauhati High Court judgment dismissing writ petition challenging the denial of interim release of a seized vehicle used in alleged drug transportation – Appellant sought interim custody under Sections 451 and 457 Cr.P.C. – Respondent contended NDPS Act precludes such interim r...
Bail - NDPS Act – Procedural Safeguards – Non-compliance Raises Doubts - The prosecution failed to adhere to the procedural requirements under Sections 42, 50, 52, and 52-A of the NDPS Act. Notably, there was a delay in recording the daily diary entry and preparing the inventory panchanama, as well as discrepancies in witness accounts, undermining the credibility of the prosecution'...
Criminal Law – Bail in NDPS Cases – Section 21(c) NDPS Act – Bail Granted – The appellant had been in custody since April 2023 in connection with the seizure of Codeine Phosphate syrup. Despite the filing of the chargesheet and supplementary chargesheet, the trial was not set to commence until January 2025. The Supreme Court granted bail, considering the prolonged pre-trial...