HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN AT JODHPUR S.B. Criminal Appeal (Sb) No. 2160/2025 Ravi @ Naresh Kumar S/o Rampratap Sakhe Maali, Aged About 32 Years, R/o - 4 E Choti Currently Mechanic At Singh Electrician Motor Market Sriganganagar (Presently Confined In Distt. Jail Sriganganagar)

----Appellant Versus State Of Rajasthan, Through PP ----Respondent For Appellant(s) : Mr. Suryadeep For Respondent(s) : Mr. Narendra Gehlot, PP Mr. Omprakash Choudhary HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SANDEEP SHAH

Order

11/09/2025 IN S.B. Criminal Appeal (SB) No. 21 60 /2025 :-

1. Admit.

2. Call for the record.

IN S.B. Criminal Misc. Bail Application for Suspension of Sentence No. 1669 /2025:-

1. Heard learned counsel for the appellant-applicant as well as learned Public Prosecutor and perused the material available on record.

2. Learned counsel for the appellant-applicant submits that the appellant-applicant has been convicted for the offences under Section 8/18 of the NDPS Act, 1985. He submits that the narcotic substance recovered from the appellant-applicant is below commercial quantity and that the learned Trial Court has convicted the appellant-applicant under Section 8/18 of the NDPS Act, 1985 for rigorous imprisonment for a period of two years only. He further submits that the appellant-applicant was on bail during the course of trial and has not misused the liberty granted by the Court and that the recovery has been undertaken without complying with the mandatory provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985. He submits that there is no chance of hearing of the appeal in near future. He also submits that there are no criminal antecedents attributable to the appellant-applicant. In these circumstances, he prays that the appellant-applicant may be released on bail by allowing suspension of sentence application.

3. Per Contra, Learned Public Prosecutor opposes the application for suspension of sentence and submits that there is compliance of all the mandatory provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985 and the recovery has been effected from the appellant-applicant, the learned trial Court has passed the conviction against the appellant-applicant after dealing with each and every aspect of the case and, therefore, the suspension of sentence application in question deserves to be dismissed.

4. Upon consideration of the arguments advanced on behalf of both the sides and having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case including the fact that there are no criminal antecedents attributable to the appellant-applicant, recovery of narcotic substance is of below commercial quantity, the punishment imposed upon the appellant-applicant is only two years’ rigorous imprisonment, there are arguable points with regard to non- compliance of the provisions of the N.D.P.S. Act, 1985, the appellant-applicant was on bail during the course of trial, and the chances of hearing of appeal in near future being bleak, this Court is of the opinion that it is a fit case for suspending the sentence awarded to the accused appellant-applicant.

5. Accordingly, the application for suspension of sentence filed under Section 430 BNSS is allowed and it is ordered that the sentence passed by the learned Special Judge, N.D.P.S. Cases, Sriganganagar, vide judgment dated 29.08.2025 in Sessions Case No.65/2019 (CIS No.65/2019), against the appellant-applicant Ravi @ Naresh Kumar S/o Rampratap Sakhe Maali, shall remain suspended till final disposal of the aforesaid appeal and he shall be released on bail, provided he executes a personal bond in the sum of Rs.1,00,000/- with two sureties of Rs.50,000/- each to the satisfaction of the learned trial Judge for his appearance in this court on 13.10.2025 and whenever ordered to do so till the disposal of the appeal on the conditions indicated below:-

1. That he/she/they will appear before the trial Court in the month of January of every year till the appeal is decided.

2. That if the applicant(s) changes the place of residence, he/she/they will give in writing his/her/