ORDER :

Bail petitioner-Neel Chand, who is behind bars since 4.12.2020, has approached this court in the instant proceedings filed under S.439 CrPC, for grant of regular bail in FIR No. 23, dated 21.2.2020, registered at Police Station Banjar, District Kullu, Himachal Pradesh under Ss. 20 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

2. Pursuant to orders dated 2.3.2022 and 14.3.2022, respondent State has filed status report. ASI Shesh Raj has come present with record. Record perused and returned.

3. Close security of record/status report, reveals that on 21.2.2020 police officials present at Naka laid near Fagu bridge stopped one vehicle (Etios) bearing registration No. PB-48D-8213 for checking. Since the occupants of the car got perplexed on seeing the police, police after having associated independent witnesses, effected personal search of the occupants of the car as well as the car itself and allegedly recovered 4.600 kg Charas from the bag kept in car. Since no plausible explanation came to be rendered on record by the occupants of car qua possession of aforesaid quantity of Charas, police after completion of codal formalities, lodged FIR against the occupants of