IN THE COURT OF THE XXXIII ADDL.CITY CIVIL & SESSIONS JUDGE & SPL. JUDGE (NDPS), BENGALURU. CCH.33. PRESENT: SMT. B.S. JAYASHREE, LL.M., XXXIII ACC & SJ & SPL.JUDGE (NDPS), BENGALURU. DATED: THIS THE 19 th DAY OF JULY 2022 Crl.Misc.No.6860/2022 Petitioner : Veerabdhara, s/o B. cbhinnappa, (accused No.2) aged about 40 years, R/at Jadinahalli Village, Hosakote Taluk, Hoskote (By Sri VG Adv.) V/S. Respondent : State by Hosakote PS (By Public Prosecutor) O R D E R The present petition U/Sec.439 of Cr.P.C., is filed by the petitioner to enlarge him on bail, in Cr.No.226/2022 of Hosakote PS., registered for the offence punishable U/Sec.20(b) of NDPS Act.
2. The grounds urged by the petitioner for grant of bail
are as under: That the petitioner is very innocent and law abiding citizen. He has not committed any offence much less the offence as alleged. He has no knowledge of alleged crime and falsely implanted at the instance of extraneous elements. The mandatory provisions U/s.50 of NDPS Act has not been complied. There are no eye witnesses who speak about the sale of alleged contraband. Though the alleged offence is non bailable, but is neither punishable with imprisonment for life or death sentence. The petitioner is ready and willing to abide by any conditions imposed by this court in the event of grant of bail. He is ready to offer surety for his due appearance before this court. He has no bad antecedents. He is the sole bread earner of his family. Hence, sought to grant bail.
3. The objection raised by the prosecution is that the
investigating agency has in all seized 3 Kgs., 500 grams of ganja plants from the possession of the accused. The accused is found to be in possession of narcotic substance. A detailed mahazar is drawn in the spot. Personal search is conducted. The offence alleged against the petitioner is punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall extend upto 10 CCH-33 Crl.Misc.No.6860/2022 years. There is a primafacie case available against the petitioner. He is an habitual drug dealer. In the event of grant of bail, he would abscond and may hamper the investigation. Hence, sought to reject the bail plea of petitioner.
4. Heard the arguments of both sides and perused the
records.
5. The points that arise for my consideration are as here
under:
1. Whether petitioner has made out sufficient grounds to enlarge him on bail?
2. What order?
6. My findings on the above points are as under:
Point No.1: In the Affirmative Point No.2: As per the final order for the following:
REASONS
7. POINT NO.1:- A report submitted by PC, ., who is the
complainant in this case before the Hosakote PS. The contents of the report is as here under:- On 30.06.2022 night the complainant was on patrolling duty in ERSS 112 vehicle bearing No.KA 22 G 1134 he has received credible information on 1.7.2022 at about 8.05 am., from the ERSS control room that one Veerabadhra has grown ganja plants at Jadaganahalli. He along with panchas and staff went to the house of said Veerabadhra at 8.20 am., and conducted raid. Behind the house in between flowers plants curry leaves plant found 2 ganja plants grown to a height of 6 feet. They uprooted the said plants and on weighing it was found to be 3 Kgs., 500 grams. Thereafter, a detail seizure panchanama was drawn. A detail report was prepared and submitted before SHO. Basing on the report, a case in Cr.226/2022 is registered for the offence punishable U/s.20(a) of NDPS Act. Thereafter accused was arrested and produced before jurisdictional Magistrate and remanded to judicial custody. CCH-33 Crl.Misc.No.6860/2022
8. It is argued by the learned counsel for petitioner that
he is planted in the case by the complainant police he is unaware of seized drug. The seized article is not commercial quantity. The mandatory provisions of Sec.41, 42, 50, 52 and 47 of the Act are not complied. He is permanent residents of the address given in the cause title. In the event of grant of bail he is ready to abide by the conditions which are being imposed by this court.
9. It is argued by the prosecution that the petitioner has
committed heinous offence 3 Kgs., 500 grams of ganja is seized from the petitioner and other accused. The offence punishable with imprisonment upto 10 years and with fine. There are primafacie material available against them.
10. On careful analysis of rival contentions and the
prosecution papers available on record, it is evident that on 01.7.2022 complainant has conducted raid and apprehended accused. On looking to the seizure panchanama the drugs seized from accused is weighing 3 Kgs., 500 grams of ganja. As per specification of small and commercial quantity of narcotic drug or psychotropic substance issued by Ministry of Finance Department of Revenue Notification S.O.1055(E) dated 19.10.2001 at Sl.No.55 the narcotic drugganja 1000 grams is small quantity and 20 Kgs., is commercial quantity. In this case the quantum of ganja seized is 3 Kgs. 500 grams of ganja is an intermediate quantity. As per the decision of Hon'ble Apex Court reported in 2018 11 SCC 488 Birbal Prasad Vs., State of Bihar wherein it is held that: Ss.37 and 20 – Bail – grant of – non commercial quantity – quantity involved being only 14 Kgs., of ganja, which is a non commercial quantity appellant accused not involved in any other case – in above circumstances, held, appellant should be released on bail, pending trial – hence, directions issued to release appellant on bail, on certain conditions. The said case law aptly applies to the case on hand in holding that the contraband seized in the case on hand is intermediate quantity and it is not commercial quantity. In the said circumstances, as per the observations of Hon'ble Apex Court the bail plea of accused to be considered. CCH-33 Crl.Misc.No.6860/2022
11. Here in this case the drugs seized by the investigating
agency to the tune of 3 Kgs., 500 grams of ganja which is an intermediate quantity. When the quantity is less than commercial quantity, rigors of Sec.37 of the NDPS Act will not attract, and factors become similar to bail petitions under regular statues normal, unless the prosecution points towards exceptional circumstances.
12. The major portion of investigation in the case is
concluded as the incriminatory article is already seized from accused. The offence alleged against the petitioner is not punishable with death or imprisonment for life. Further custodial interrogation is not warranted. His Voluntary statement is already recorded. As per the information provided by the petitioner he is permanently residing in the address shown in the cause title. The apprehension of the prosecution that he may abscond and may protract the trial could be compensated by imposing stringent conditions. In the result, I answer the point for consideration in the affirmative.
13. Point No.2:- In the result, I proceed to pass
following:
ORDER
The Petition filed by the petitioner U/Sec.439 of Cr.P.C is hereby allowed. The petitioner is enlarged on bail on executing personal bond for a sum of Rs.1,00,000/- with Two sureties for the like sum with following conditions.
1. The petitioner shall give attendance before the concerned I.O., once in a month i.e., preferably on first Monday of every month in between 10.00 am., to 2.00 pm., till filing of charge sheet or further orders whichever is earlier.
2. He shall not leave the jurisdiction of this court without prior permission.
3. He shall not tamper the witness or abscond.
4. He shall co-operate with I.O for investigation.
5. He shall not commit similar offence or any offence while on bail.
6. He shall furnish his photo ID proof and local address proof document before the court and photo ID proof of his sureties.
7. He shall appear before the court on all hearing dates.
CCH-33 Crl.Misc.No.6860/2022
8. Breach of any of the conditions by the petitioner would entail cancellation of bail.
[Dictated to the stenographer, directly on the computer, typed and computerised by her, corrected, signed and then pronounced by me in Open Court on this the 19th day of July 2022) (B. S. JAYASHREE) XXXIII ACC & SJ & SPL.JUDGE, (NDPS) : BENGALURU.