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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
NEELA GOKHALE
Blessing Amaka Okonko – Appellant
Versus
State of Maharashtra – Respondent
JUDGMENT :
NEELA GOKHALE, J.
1. By this Application, the Applicant seeks her enlargement on bail in connection with FIR No. 01 of 2023 dated 01st January 2023 registered with the ANC, Ghatkopar Unit, Mumbai, for the offences punishable under Sections 8(c), 22(b), 22(c) and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 ( for short ‘NDPS Act’).
2. The facts of the case, in brief, are as under:-
2.1 On 31st December 2022, at around 1800 hours, the officials of the ANC, Ghatkopar Unit, Mumbai, received information of sale of narcotics in Mumbai City. Armed with this information, the officials formed a team and set off for patrolling. They carried with them all the necessary material required for compliances under the NDPS Act. During patrolling, they found 2 persons lurking in suspicious circumstances near the Lotus Prime Cloth Store, Navrang Compound, Mahim-Sion Link Road Bridge, Mumbai. The Police stopped their vehicle a little ahead of them, and kept a watch on the activities of those two persons. It appeared that the said two persons were waiting for someone. Finally, the Police officials started to go upto them to make inquiries.
2.2 On seeing the Police, the said two
The court affirmed the strict compliance requirements of the NDPS Act in bail applications, emphasizing the need to demonstrate reasonable grounds for believing in the accused's innocence, particular....
Procedural lapses in drug-related cases can justify bail, especially in light of the defendant's clean record and compliance issues with statutory requirements.
The statutory requirements for bail under the NDPS Act necessitate proof of reasonable grounds for believing the accused is not guilty, which were not established in this case.
Point of Law- It is pertinent to note that in the bail application the appellants, it was alleged, that there was serious violation of Section 42 of the NDPS Act. In the impugned order nothing is sta....
Point of Law : It is pertinent to note that in the bail application the appellants, it was alleged, that there was serious violation of Section 42 of the NDPS Act. In the impugned order nothing is st....
Compliance with procedural safeguards under the NDPS Act is essential in narcotics cases; however, the lack of adherence does not automatically vitiate the recovery of contraband from premises.
Expression ‘reasonable grounds’ means something more than prima facie grounds.
Point of law : Bail cannot be granted on the ground of technicality and non-compliance of formalities cannot be considered during the bail stage.
The central legal point established in the judgment is the non-satisfaction of the twin conditions under Section 37 of the NDPS Act for granting bail.
Compliance with procedural requirements does not negate the integrity of seized evidence if custody is maintained, impacting bail decisions in narcotics cases.
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