Order:

This Criminal Petition, under Sections 480 and 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, has been filed by the petitioners/A1 to A3, seeking regular bail, in Crime No.310 of 2024 of IV Town Police Station, Visakhapatnam Commissionerate.

2. A case has been registered against the petitioners herein and others for the offence punishable under Section 20(b)(ii)(C) read with 8(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (for short ‘the NDPS Act’).

3. Case of the prosecution, in brief, is that, on 10.12.2024, at about 16.00 hours, on credible information, the Sub-Inspector of Police, IV Town Police Station, Visakhapatnam City, along with his staff and mediators, rushed to the back side of Srinivasa Kalyana Mandapam, Railway New Colony, Visakhapatnam city and found A1 to A3 in possession of 28 Kgs of Ganja. The contraband was seized under cover of a mediators report and a case has been registered against the accused.

4. Heard. Perused the record.

5. Petitioners herein were arrested on 10.12.2024 and since then they are in judicial remand. Learned Assistant Public Prosecutor submits that major portion of investigation is completed and charge sheet could not be filed for want of inventory.

6. In view of the aforesaid facts and circumstances of the case, this Court is inclined to grant bail to the petitioners/A1 to A3 on the following conditions.

i) The petitioners/A1 to A3 shall be released on bail on their executing personal bonds for Rs.10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand only) each with two sureties of the like sum each to the satisfaction of the learned I Additional District and Sessions Judge-cum-Special Judge for trial of offences under the NDPS Act, Visakhapatnam.

ii) On release, the petitioners shall appear before the Station House Officer concerned, once in a week i.e., on every Saturday between 10.00 am and 01.00 pm, till filing of the charge sheet.

7. Accordingly, the Criminal Petition is allowed.

_______________________ K. SREENIVASA REDDY, J