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2004 Supreme(Guj) 328

Gujarat High Court
Judgename :H.K.RATHOD
HABIBKHAN USMANKHAN PATHAN - Appellant
Versus
STATE OF GUJARAT - Respondent
Criminal Application3297 of 2004
Decided On : 05/04/2004

Advocates Appeared: A.Y.PATHAN, ANANT S.DAVE, R.C.KODEKAR

Headnote:(a) Criminal Trial - Bail - Successive bail application - Admissibility - Successive bail applications are not maintainable unless new reasons or grounds canvassed before the Court.

       This petitioner had earlier filed the bail application before this Court being Misc. Criminal Application No. 7611/2002 which was ultimately withdrawn by the petitioner on 29.1.2003 before that bail application was submitted to the Special Court being Misc. Criminal Application No. 296/2002 which was rejected by the Special Court on merits. Therefore, before the Special Court this two facts are clear. In such circumstances it is the duty of the petitioner to point out to the Court that what are the new circumstances which required to grant bail in comparison to earlier order passed by the Special Court on merits. Successive bail application are not maintainable unless new reasons or grounds canvassed before the Court.

       [Para 5]

       (b) Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (Central Act 61 of 1985) - Sec. 37 - Bail - Limitations - Court must be satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for beliving that accused is not guilty of offence punishable for a term of imprisonment of five years or more under the Act and was not likely to commit any offence while on bail.

       Section 37 is also relevant wherein it is provided that no person accused of an offence punishable for a term of imprisonment of five years or more under this Act shall be released on bail or on his own bond unless the Public Prosecutor has been given an opportunity to oppose the application for such release and were the Public Prosecutor opposed the application the Court is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for believing that he is not guilty of such offence and that he is not likely to commit any offence while on bail. The limitation on granting the bail satisfied in Clause (b) Sub-sec. (1) are in addition to the limitation under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.

       [Para 8]

       (c) Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 (Central Act 2 of 1974) - Sec. 439 - Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (Central Act 61 of 1985) - Secs. 8-C, 20-B, 29 & 37 - Bail - Scope of - Accused alleged to have committed offences in which the imprisonment is minimum 10 years and, therefore, Sec. 37 of the Act squarely applies - Considering the evidence on record and the fact that his bail application was properly rejected by Special Court and that no new circumstances or grounds are alleged Court held order of Special Court legal and valid and rejected the bail application of petitioner.

       Offence which has been registered against the petitioner wherein the imprisonment is minimum 10 years and, therefore, Sec. 37 squarely applied and it is not the case of the petitioner that Sec. 37 is not applicable. Therefore, considering this fact and while keeping in mind the statement of the petitioner and statement of accused No. 1 more than prima facie established the involvement of present petitioner in present and past transactions. Therefore, considering the limitation under Sec. 37 of NDPS Act, 1985 and considering the another facts that after the rejection of the bail application on merits by the Special Court no new circumstances, ground or any reasons have been canvassed by the petitioner and established by the petitioner before Special Court as well as this Court and, therefore, according to my opinion the order which has been passed by Special Court, Navsari on 1/4/2004 is quite legal and valid and, therefore, petitioner is not entitled the regular bail and, therefore, this application is rejected.

       [Para 13]

H. K. RATHOD, J.

( 1 ) HEARD the learned Advocate Mr. A. Y. Pathan on behalf of the petitioner. Learned A. P. P. Mr. Kodekar appearing on behalf of respondent and learned Advocate Mr. Anant Dave appearing on behalf of narcotics Control Bureau. Against the present petitioner offence registered under sees. 8c, 20b and 29 of N. D. P. S. Act, 1985. Charge-sheet filed against the present petitioner on 20-11-2002. After filing the charge-sheet on 20-11-2002 the first application for bail filed by the petitioner on 22-3-2004 in N. D. P. S. Case No. 1 of 2003 by Misc. Criminal Application No. 53 of 2004. The said application rejected by Special Judge, Navsari on 1-4-2004 against which present application is filed by petitioner.

( 2 ) LEARNED Advocate Mr. Pathan raised contention before this Court that nothing recovered from the present petitioner. Only statement of accused No. 1-Mohd. Ramzan Kalyari @ Ramzanbhai involved the present petitioner and on that basis the complaint is filed against the petitioner. He submitted that the statement of accused No. 1-Mohd. Ramzan not admissible in evidence and relying on that statement complaint was filed against the petitioner. He disputed that phone No. 431671 at Baroda is not a telephone number of residence of the petitioner. He produced the bill of the said telephone number wherein the name of Abdul Kadar G. Mansuri is mentioned. Therefore, his submission is that prima facie petitioner was not involved at all in the said transaction and allegations made against the petitioner are false. He also submitted that in past transaction of 27 kg. charas delivered at Bharuch to the petitioner is also false because from 26-4-2002 to 30-4-2002 the entire Baroda city was in disturbance and it was not possible for the petitioner to go out of the city as heavy police force was controlling the city. Therefore, that allegation was also false and prima facie involvement of petitioner is not proved on the face of it that he received delivery at Bharuch of 27 kg. charas. He also submitted that long medical history suffering with heart trouble and angiography and for that petitioner was released on temporary bail for a period of one month by the court. During this one month period he was in good behavior and not jumped the jail. He further emphasized that in present incident petitioner was not at all involved. These are the prima facie submission with a prayer to grant regular bail in favour of the petitioner. He also submitted that trial is still not commenced on the contrary the matter is transferred to the other Judge. Except that no other submission made by Mr. Pathan and no decision is relied by Mr. Pathan.

( 3 ) LEARNED A. P. P. Mr. Kodekar appearing on behalf of the respondent has submitted that offence registered against the petitioner under the provisions of n. D. P. S. Act, 1985 and Sec. 37 which is mandatory is applicable to the facts of this case. He has submitted that in such cases to grant bail is a exception otherwise bail should not be granted to the accused against whom the offence registered under the provisions of N. D. P. S. Act, 1985.

( 4 ) LEARNED A. P. P. Mr. Kodekar submitted that accused himself has given statement in his own hand-writing under Sec. 67 of N. D. P. S. Act, 1985 which is as good a statement under Sec. 108 of Customs Act. He also submitted that this statement is admissible in evidence and that statement is produced at page 16 and completed at page 19. Mr. Kodekar also emphasized that in entire statement present petitioner admitted clear involvement in the present transaction and that itself is sufficient at the stage of deciding the bail application to prove prima facie case against the petitioner. The relevant portion of the statement given by petitioner voluntarily in involving in the present transaction is as under :"on being asked he further stated that Ramzanbhai called him some 5-6 days back from Kashmir; at that time he was not present at his residence; that when he


















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