O R D E R

Petitioner has approached this Court seeking bail in case FIR No. 53 of 2021, dated 12.5.2021, registered in Police Station Padhar, District Mandi, H.P., under Section 18 of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (for short “NDPS Act”).

2. Status report stands filed. Record was also made available.

3. It is stated in the status report that petitioner has joined the investigation and nothing is to be recovered from him. According to status report Police party during patrolling on 12.5.2021, noticed illegal cultivation of opium whereupon Pradhan Gram Panchyat, Patwari Halka concerned were informed and summoned on the spot. Patwari Soma Devi expressed her inability to reach on the spot, as she was having six months old baby and had joined duties two days before after availing maternity leave, but she informed about it to Beat Kanungo, who came on the spot accompanied by his assistant alongwith record. Because of bad weather and inability to read the revenue record, Kanungo could not identify Khasra numbers of the land in reference in which about seven lakh opium plants were found cultivated. All plants were uprooted and after keeping 10 plants as sample, rest of plants