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2025 Supreme(Online)(P&H) 6509

IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH
Jasjit Singh Bedi, J
Lal Singh – Appellant
Versus
State Of Haryana – Respondent
CRM-M-62487-2025



Advocates:
For the Appellants/Petitioners: Som Nath Saini
For the Respondents: Vipul Sherwal

Regular bail under the NDPS Act is denied to a habitual offender, even if named only in a disclosure statement, as multiple pending cases prevent the satisfaction of the twin conditions under Section 37 of the NDPS Act regarding the likelihood of committing further offences.

Headnote:(A) Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 - Section 37 - Regular Bail - Petitioner named in disclosure statement - Criminal antecedents - 5 other NDPS cases pending - Petitioner a habitual offender - Twin conditions of Section 37 not satisfied - No changed circumstances - Bail denied. (Paras 12, 13)

Facts of the case:
The petitioner, already in custody for another matter in Madhya Pradesh, was implicated in the instant FIR based solely on the disclosure statements of co-accused arrested with a commercial quantity of opium. The petitioner sought regular bail for the sixth time, citing lack of recovery and recent judicial trends regarding disclosure statements, while having five other active NDPS cases against him.

Findings of Court:
The court found that while a disclosure statement is a factor, the petitioner's status as a habitual offender involved in multiple NDPS cases across different jurisdictions makes it impossible to satisfy the twin conditions of Section 37 of the NDPS Act. The court observed no change in circumstances since the previous withdrawal of the bail application.

Issues: Whether an accused named only in a disclosure statement is entitled to regular bail despite possessing a history of multiple criminal cases under the NDPS Act.

Ratio Decidendi: When an accused has multiple FIRs under the NDPS Act spanning over a significant period, it is highly improbable they were falsely implicated by investigating agencies, thus failing the test under Section 37 regarding the likelihood of committing further offences.

Result: Petition dismissed with costs.

Table of Content
1. basis for detention and nature of the bail application. (Para 1 , 2)
2. arguments regarding disclosure statements versus criminal history. (Para 3 , 4)
3. analysis of precedents regarding bail for accused named in disclosure. (Para 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11)
4. denial of bail for habitual offenders under ndps act due to criminal antecedents. (Para 12 , 13 , 14)

JASJIT SINGH BEDI, J.

The prayer in this 6th petition under Section 483 of BNSS is for the grant of regular bail in case bearing FIR No.105 dated 04.05.2023 registered under Sections 18(b), 18(c), 29 of NDPS Act at Police Station Sadar Narwana, District Jind, Haryana.

2. The brief facts of the case are that Rajbir and Dilawar were arrested and found in possession of 6 Kgs. 404 grams of opium. They disclosed the name of Lal Singh (petitioner) as the supplier of the opium. The petitioner who was in Shajapur Jail, Madhya Pradesh was joined in investigation and arrested in the present case.

3. The learned counsel for the petitioner contends that the petitioner had been falsely implicated in the present case. He contends that the name of the petitioner figured in the disclosure statement of his co-accused. Pursuant to his arrest, no recovery whatsoever had been effected. Reliance is placed on the judgments in the cases of Tofan Singh Versus State of Tamil Nadu , 2020 AIR (Supreme Court) 5592, Rakesh Kumar Singla Versus Union of India, 2021(1) RCR (Criminal) 704, Surinder Kumar Khanna Versus Intelligence Officer Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, 2018(3) RCR (Criminal) 954, State by (NCB) Bengaluru Versus Pallulabid Ahmad Arimutta & Anr. 2022(1) RCR (Criminal) 762, Sanjeev Chandra Agarwal & Anr. Versus Union of India 2021(4) RCR (Criminal) 590, Vijay Singh Versus The State of Haryana, bearing Special Leave to Appeal (Crl.) No.(s).1266/2023 decided on 17.05.2023, State of Haryana Versus Samarth Kumar 2022 (3) RCR (Criminal) 991 and Vikrant Singh Versus State of Punjab, CRM-M 39657-2020., wherein it has been held that the accused can be granted the concession of regular bail where he has been named in the disclosure statement of his co-accused and there is no other corroborative evidence against the accused. As the petitioner is in custody since 26.06.2023 none of the 25 prosecution witnesses has been examined so far, he is entitled to the concession of bail even though there were 05 other cases bearing FIR No.10/2022 U/s 8, 18, 29, 60 of NDPS Act P.S. Bhiwani Mandi, Jhalawar, FIR No.166/2021 U/s 29 P.S. Dug, Jhalawar, FIR No.72/2022 U/s 27-A/29 NDPS Rules, 18/61/85 NDPS Act, P.S. Shahzadpur, Ambala, FIR No.37/2022 U/s 15/29/61/85 NDPS Act, P.S. Shahzadpur, Ambala and FIR No.167/2023 U/s 8/15 NDPS Act, P.S. Soyat, Shajapur pending against the petitioner.

4. The learned counsel for the respondent-State, on the other hand, contends that in view of the serious allegations levelled against the petitioner, he is not entitled to the grant of bail. He is an accused in 05 other cases bearing FIR No.10/2022 U/s 8, 18, 29, 60 of NDPS Act P.S. Bhiwani Mandi, Jhalawar, FIR No.166/2021 U/s 29 P.S. Dug, Jhalawar, FIR No.72/2022 U/s 27-A/29 NDPS Rules, 18/61/85 NDPS Act, P.S. Shahzadpur, Ambala, FIR No.37/2022 U/s 15/29/61/85 NDPS Act, P.S. Shahzadpur, Ambala and FIR No.167/2023 U/s 8/15 NDPS Act, P.S. Soyat, Shajapur. Even otherwise, there are no change in circumstances warranting grant of bail when the 5th bail application of the petitioner came to be withdrawn on 17.09.2025 (Annexure P-7). He, however, concedes that the petitioner is named in the disclosure statement, is in custody since 26.06.2023 and none of the 25 prosecution witnesses has been examined so far.

5. I have heard the learned counsel for both the parties at length.

6. The Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of State of Haryana Versus Samarth Kumar 2022 (3) RCR (Criminal) 991, held as under:-

“4. The High Court decided to grant pre-arrest bail to the respondents on the only ground that no recovery was e

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