[Cites 4, Cited by 0]
Gujarat High Court
Pappu S/O Shivshankar Mandal vs State Of Gujarat on 7 May, 2026
NEUTRAL CITATION
R/CR.MA/10962/2026 ORDER DATED: 07/05/2026
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD
R/CRIMINAL MISC.APPLICATION (FOR REGULAR BAIL - AFTER
CHARGESHEET) NO. 10962 of 2026
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PAPPU S/O SHIVSHANKAR MANDAL
Versus
STATE OF GUJARAT
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Appearance:
MR. DHRUVIN U MEHTA(9993) for the Applicant(s) No. 1
MS MONALI BHATT, APP for the Respondent(s) No. 1
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CORAM:HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE HASMUKH D. SUTHAR
Date : 07/05/2026
ORDER
[1.0] RULE. Learned APP waives service of rule for the respondent-State.
[2.0] The present application is filed under Section 483 of the Bharatiya
Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for short "BNSS") for regular bail in
connection with FIR being C.R. No. 11200051252865 of 2025 registered
with Dungara Police Station, Valsad, for the offences under Sections 8(c),
20(b)(ii)B and 29 of NDPS Act.
[3.0] Learned advocate appearing on behalf of the applicant submits that
applicant is innocent and has been falsely implicated in the offence and now
nothing is required to be recovered or discovered. Chargesheet has been
filed. He is in jail since 14.12.2025. He has no past antecedent. Whatever the
quantity is found is intermediate quantity. He therefore submits that,
considering the nature of the offence, the applicant may be enlarged on
regular bail by imposing suitable conditions.
[4.0] Learned APP appearing on behalf of the respondent-State has opposed
the present application and requested to dismiss the present application for
regular bail on the ground that contraband substance Ganja was found from
the house of the applicant valued at Rs.1,50,050/- for the purpose of selling.
Therefore, present application does not deserve consideration.
NEUTRAL CITATION
R/CR.MA/10962/2026 ORDER DATED: 07/05/2026
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[5.0] While granting bail, the Court has to consider the involvement of the
accused in the alleged offence, the jurisdiction to grant bail has to be
exercised on the basis of the well settled principles having regard to the
facts and circumstances of each case and the following factors are to be
taken into consideration while considering an application for bail: (i) the
nature of accusation and the severity of the punishment and the nature of
the materials relied upon by the prosecution; (ii) reasonable apprehension
of tampering with the witnesses and threat to the complainant or the
witnesses; (iii) reasonable possibility of securing the presence of the
accused at the time of trial or the likelihood of his abscondence; (iv)
character behaviour and standing of the accused and the circumstances
which are peculiar to the accused; (v) larger interest of the public or the
State and similar other considerations are required to be considered.
[6.0] I have heard the learned advocates appearing on behalf of the
respective parties and perused the investigation papers. Following aspects
have been considered:
(1) Investigation is over and charge-sheet is filed;
(2) None of the offence alleged is punishable with life sentence or death
penalty and are triable by the Court of JMFC;
(3) Applicant is behind the bars since 14.12.2025;
(4) There is nothing to be recovered or discovered from the applicant;
(5) Obviously commencement and conclusion of trial will take some time.
(6) Allegation against the applicant is that, 3.001 Kgs Ganja was found from
the house of the applicant which was supplied by co-accused Abhishek
Upendra Mandal for the purpose of retail sale. However, tecovered quantity
is not commercial quantity and therefore, rigorous of Section 37 would not
be applicable.
(7) No similar nature of past antecedent.
[7.0] This Court has also taken into consideration the law laid down by the
Hon'ble Apex Court in the case of Sanjay Chandra vs. Central Bureau of
NEUTRAL CITATION
R/CR.MA/10962/2026 ORDER DATED: 07/05/2026
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Investigation reported in [2012]1 SCC 40 as well as in the case of
Gudikanti Narasimhulu And Ors vs. Public Prosecutor, High Court of
Andhra Pradesh reported in (1978)1 SCC 240. Obviously, the conclusion of
trial will take time and keeping the accused behind the bars is nothing but
amounts to pre-trial conviction and therefore, considering the celebrated
principle of bail jurisprudence is that "bail is a rule and jail is exception" as
well as the concept of personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the
Constitution of India, present application deserves consideration.
[8.0] In the facts and circumstances of the case and considering the nature
of the allegations made against the applicant in the FIR, without discussing
the evidence in detail, prima facie, this Court is of the opinion that this is a
fit case to exercise the discretion and enlarge the applicant on regular bail.
Hence, the present application is allowed. The applicant is ordered to be
released on regular bail in connection with FIR being C.R. No.
11200051252865 of 2025 registered with Dungara Police Station, valsad
on executing a personal bond of Rs.25,000/- (Rupees Twenty-five Thousand
only) with one local surety of the like amount to the satisfaction of the trial
Court and subject to the conditions that he shall;
(a) not take undue advantage of liberty or misuse liberty;
(b) not act in a manner injurious to the interest of the prosecution & shall
not obstruct or hamper the police investigation and shall not to play
mischief with the evidence collected or yet to be collected by the police;
(c) surrender passport, if any, to the Trial Court within a week;
(d) not leave the State of Gujarat without prior permission of the Trial Court
concerned;
(e) mark presence before the concerned Police Station once in every month
for a period of six months between 11.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m.;
(f) furnish the present address of his residence to the Investigating Officer
and also to the Court at the time of execution of the bond and shall not
change the residence without prior permission of Trial Court;
(g) not to indulge in any illegal activity failing which learned trial Court shall
NEUTRAL CITATION
R/CR.MA/10962/2026 ORDER DATED: 07/05/2026
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issue warrant and cancel the bail of the applicant.
[9.0] The authorities will release the applicant only if he is not required in
connection with any other offence for the time being. If breach of any of the
above conditions is committed, the Sessions Judge concerned will be free to
issue warrant or take appropriate action in the matter.
[10.0] Bail bond to be executed before the lower Court having jurisdiction to
try the case. It will be open for the concerned Court to delete, modify
and/or relax any of the above conditions, in accordance with law.
[11.0] At the trial, the trial Court shall not be influenced by the observations
of preliminary nature qua the evidence at this stage made by this Court
while enlarging the applicant on bail.
[12.0] Rule is made absolute to the aforesaid extent. Direct service is
permitted
(HASMUKH D. SUTHAR,J)
SUCHIT
