Hon'ble the Supreme Court in Sanjay Chandra v. Central Bureau of Investigation, reported in

1. Heard Mr. Ankit Kumar Pandey and Ms. Sindhuja Tiwari learned counsels for applicant, learned Additional Government Advocate appearing on behalf of State and perused the record.

2. This first bail application has been filed with regard to Case Crime No. 459 of 2024 under Sections 8A(c), 15(c) and 25 of N.D.P.S. Act, P.S. Gosaiganj, District Lucknow.

3. As per contents of First Information Report, incident is said to have taken place on 27.10.2024 at about 05:10 PM while on the basis of information received by the Police, a truck bearing No. HR67A9469 was intercepted and the applicant alongwith co-accused was apprehended with more than commercial quantity of posta (remnants of afeem plant) being recovered therefrom.

4. It has been submitted by learned counsel for applicant that he has been falsely implicated in the charges levelled against him inasmuch as even from a perusal of the First Information Report, the applicant is indicated only as a labourer who had loaded and unloaded the product. It is submitted that there is no recovery from the person of the applicant. Learned counsel has also adverted to the contradiction in applicant's arrest with it being shown at 05:10 PM whereas the time of information is at night with First Information Report also being lodged at 08:33 PM on 27.10.2024. It is submitted that there is no previous criminal history of applicant who is under incarceration since 28.10.2024 without even charge-sheet having been filed till date.

5. Learned A.G.A. appearing on behalf of the State opposed the prayer for bail but does not dispute the aforesaid facts.

6. Hon'ble the Supreme Court in Sanjay Chandra v. Central Bureau of Investigation, reported in (2012) 1 SCC 40 has specifically held that bail is to be a norm and an under-trial is not required to be in jail for ever pending trial. Relevant paragraphs of the judgment are as under :- "21. In bail applications, generally, it has been laid down from the earliest times that the object of bail is to secure the appearance of the accused person at his trial by reasonable amount of bail. The object of bail is neither punitive nor preventative. Deprivation of liberty must be considered a punishment, unless it is required to ensure that an accused person will stand his trial when called upon. The courts owe more than verbal respect to the principle that punishment begins after conviction, and that every man is deemed to be innocent until duly tried and duly found guilty." "27. This Court, time and again, has stated that bail is the rule and committal to jail an exception. It has also observed that refusal of bail is a restriction on the personal liberty of the individual guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution."

7. Upon consideration of submissions advanced by learned counsel for parties, prima facie, subject to evidence being led in trial, at this stage it appears that applicant's name has been indicated in the First Information Report as a person travelling on the truck which was apprehended alongwith alleged illegal narcotic. It also appears that there was no recovery from the person of applicant who is under incarceration since 27.10.2024 which charge-sheet are not yet having been filed. It is admitted by learned AGA that there is no previous criminal history of the applicant.

8. Considering the submissions of learned counsel for the parties, nature of accusation and severity of punishment in case of conviction, nature of supporting evidence, prima facie satisfaction of the Court in support of the charge, reformative theory of punishment and considering larger mandate of the Article 21 of the Constitution of India and, without expressing any view on the merits of the case, I find it to be a fit case of bail.

9. Let applicant, Basant Yadav, involved in the aforesaid case crime be released on bail on his furnishing a personal bond and two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned with the following conditions which are being imposed in the interest of justice:- (i) The applicant shall file an undertaking to the effect that he shall not seek any adjournment on the dates fixed for evidence when the witnesses are present in court. In case of default of this condition, it shall be open for the trial court to treat it as abuse of liberty of bail and pass orders in accordance with law. (ii) The applicant shall remain present before the trial court on each date fixed, either personally or through his counsel. In case of his absence, without sufficient cause, the trial court may proceed against him under Section 229-A of the Indian Penal Code. (iii) In case, the applicant misuses the liberty of bail during trial and in order to secure his presence proclamation under Section 82 Cr.P.C. is issued and the applicant fails to appear before the court on the date fixed in such proclamation, then, the trial court shall initiate proceedings against him, in accordance with law, under Section 174-A of the Indian Penal Code. (iv) The applicant shall remain present, in person, before the trial court on the dates fixed for (i) opening of the case, (ii) framing of charge and (iii) recording of statement under Section 313 Cr.P.C. If in the opinion of the trial court, absence of the applicant is deliberate or without sufficient cause, then it shall be open for the trial court to treat such default as abuse of liberty of bail and proceed against him in accordance with law. Order Date :- 27.3.2025 prabhat PRABHAT KUMAR PRABHAT KUMAR High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench Lucknow Bench

1. Heard Mr. Ankit Kumar Pandey and Ms. Sindhuja Tiwari learned counsels for applicant, learned Additional Government Advocate appearing on behalf of State and perused the record.

2. This first bail application has been filed with regard to Case Crime No. 459 of 2024 under Sections 8A(c), 15(c) and 25 of N.D.P.S. Act, P.S. Gosaiganj, District Lucknow.

3. As per contents of First Information Report, incident is said to have taken place on 27.10.2024 at about 05:10 PM while on the basis of information received by the Police, a truck bearing No. HR67A9469 was intercepted and the applicant alongwith co-accused was apprehended with more than commercial quantity of posta (remnants of afeem plant) being recovered therefrom.

4. It has been submitted by learned counsel for applicant that he has been falsely implicated in the charges levelled against him inasmuch as even from a perusal of the First Information Report, the applicant is indicated only as a labourer who had loaded and unloaded the product. It is submitted that there is no recovery from the person of the applicant. Learned counsel has also adverted to the contradiction in applicant's arrest with it being shown at 05:10 PM whereas the time of information is at night with First Information Report also being lodged at 08:33 PM on 27.10.2024. It is submitted that there is no previous criminal history of applicant who is under incarceration since 28.10.2024 without even charge-sheet having been filed till date.

5. Learned A.G.A. appearing on behalf of the State opposed the prayer for bail but does not dispute the aforesaid facts.

6. Hon'ble the Supreme Court in Sanjay Chandra v. Central Bureau of Investigation, reported in (2012) 1 SCC 40 has specifically held that bail is to be a norm and an under-trial is not required to be in jail for ever pending trial. Relevant paragraphs of the judgment are as under :- "21. In bail applications, generally, it has been laid down from the earliest times that the object of bail is to secure the appearance of the accused person at his trial by reasonable amount of bail. The object of bail is neither punitive nor preventative. Deprivation of liberty must be considered a punishment, unless it is required to ensure that an accused person will stand his trial when called upon. The courts owe more than verbal respect to the principle that punishment begins after conviction, and that every man is deemed to be innocent until duly tried and duly found guilty." "27. This Court, time and again, has stated that bail is the rule and committal to jail an exception. It has also observed that refusal of bail is a restriction on the personal liberty of the individual guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution."

7. Upon consideration of submissions advanced by learned counsel for parties, prima facie, subject to evidence being led in trial, at this stage it appears that applicant's name has been indicated in the First Information Report as a person travelling on the truck which was apprehended alongwith alleged illegal narcotic. It also appears that there was no recovery from the person of applicant who is under incarceration since 27.10.2024 which charge-sheet are not yet having been filed. It is admitted by learned AGA that there is no previous criminal history of the applicant.

8. Considering the submissions of learned counsel for the parties, nature of accusation and severity of punishment in case of conviction, nature of supporting evidence, prima facie satisfaction of the Court in support of the charge, reformative theory of punishment and considering larger mandate of the Article 21 of the Constitution of India and, without expressing any view on the merits of the case, I find it to be a fit case of bail.

9. Let applicant, Basant Yadav, involved in the aforesaid case crime be released on bail on his furnishing a personal bond and two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of the court concerned with the following conditions which are being imposed in the interest of justice:- (i) The applicant shall file an undertaking to the effect that he shall not seek any adjournment on the dates fixed for evidence when the witnesses are present in court. In case of default of this condition, it shall be open for the trial court to treat it as abuse of liberty of bail and pass orders in accordance with law. (ii) The applicant shall remain present before the trial court on each date fixed, either personally or through his counsel. In case of his absence, without sufficient cause, the trial court may proceed against him under Section 229-A of the Indian Penal Code. (iii) In case, the applicant misuses the liberty of bail during trial and in order to secure his presence proclamation under Section 82 Cr.P.C. is issued and the applicant fails to appear before the court on the date fixed in such proclamation, then, the trial court shall initiate proceedings against him, in accordance with law, under Section 174-A of the Indian Penal Code. (iv) The applicant shall remain present, in person, before the trial court on the dates fixed for (i) opening of the case, (ii) framing of charge and (iii) recording of statement under Section 313 Cr.P.C. If in the opinion of the trial court, absence of the applicant is deliberate or without sufficient cause, then it shall be open for the trial court to treat such default as abuse of liberty of bail and proceed against him in accordance with law. Order Date :- 27.3.2025 prabhat PRABHAT KUMAR PRABHAT KUMAR High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench Lucknow Bench