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IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA

AT HYDERABAD

THE HONOURABLE SMT. JUSTICE JUVVADI SRIDEVI

CRIMINAL REVISION CASE Nos.920, 921, 922, 925 and 926 of 2025

22 DECEMBER, 2025

Between:

Dennis Joseph and four others … Petitioners

AND

The State of Telangana, through

Prohibition and Excise Station Chevella

Rep. by its Public Prosecutor …Respondent

: COMMON ORDER :

Challenging the orders dated 11.11.2025 passed in

Crl.M.P.Nos.555, 556, 557 and 554 of 2025, and the order dated

31.10.2025 passed in Crl.M.P.No.516 of 2025 in Crime No.88 of 2025 of

P.S. Excise, Chevella, by the learned I Additional District and Sessions

Judge, Ranga Reddy District at L.B. Nagar (for short ‘trial Court’), the

present Criminal Revision Cases are filed, and consequently to grant

interim custody of the said mobile phones to the interim custody of the

petitioners by imposing appropriate conditions.

2. Heard Ms. P.Sree Ramya, learned counsel for the petitioners

and Mr. M.Ramachandra Reddy, learned Additional Public Prosecutor

appearing for the respondent-State. Perused the record.

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3. The case of the prosecution, in brief, is that on 03.08.2025,

upon receiving credible information, the STF Hyderabad Team

proceeded to the premises i.e., Serene Orchards Farm House, Plot

No.49, North East Park, Medipally Village, Moinabad Mandal, and

seized 0.05 grams of LSD, 20.21 grams of Hashish, six mobile phones,

and three cars from the possession of the petitioners-accused Nos.1 to

3, 5 and 6 and accused No.4. Basing on the said seizure, a case in

Crime No.88 of 2025 was registered against the petitioners and others.

Thereafter, the petitioners-accused Nos.1 to 3, 5 and 6 filed applications

in Crl.M.P.Nos.516, 554, 555, 556 and 557 of 2025 seeking interim

custody of the seized mobile phones. However, the same were

dismissed by the trial Court by the impugned orders. Aggrieved

thereby, the present criminal revision cases have been filed.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that the trial Court

erred in dismissing the applications filed by the petitioners seeking

interim custody of their mobile phones, despite the petitioners being the

owners of the seized mobile phones, especially when the same are

personal and essential instruments used for day-to-day communication,

work, banking, and personal safety. It is a settled principle of law that

when ownership of seized property is not in dispute and its production

during trial can be ensured by execution of personal bond or by

furnishing sureties, interim custody ought to be granted. Hence, learned

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counsel prayed to grant interim custody of the seized mobile phones to

the petitioners by allowing the present criminal revision cases.

5. On the other hand, learned Additional Public Prosecutor

submits that the petitioners-accused Nos.1 to 3, 5 and 6 are consumers

of narcotic drugs and the investigation is still under progress. The

mobile phones seized from the petitioners are crucial evidence for

retrieving data relating to the drug peddlers involved in the illicit trade of

narcotic drugs. He further submits that the release of mobile phones to

the petitioners at this stage may hamper the ongoing investigation. After

due consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case, the trial

Court has rightly dismissed the applications filed by the petitioners

seeking interim custody of their mobile phones, and the impugned

orders do not warrant any interference by this Court. Hence, he prayed

to dismiss the present criminal revision cases.

6. In a case involving narcotic substances, it is imperative that the

investigating agency be afforded sufficient liberty to investigate and

unravel the full contours of the conspiracy, including its connections,

financial transactions, communication networks, and the identities of

other people involved in the illicit trade. Premature interference with the

investigation, particularly in relation to the seized mobile phones which

may contain crucial evidence, would seriously hamper the progress of

the ongoing inves