2025:HHC:18775 IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA. Cr.MP (M) No.  :  1384 of 2025 Decided on   : 18th June, 2025 Raj Singh …Applicant Versus State of Himachal Pradesh …Respondent Coram The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Virender Singh,  Judge. Whether approved for reporting?1 For the applicant      :  Mr. Vivek Thakur, Advocate. For the respondent   : Mr. H.S. Rawat, Additional Advocate General. Virender Singh, Judge Applicant­Raj Singh, apprehending  his  arrest, in case FIR No.52 of 2025, dated 11.03.2025, registered, under Sections  21, 25 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act (hereinafter referred to as the ‘NDPS   Act’),  has   filed   the   present   application,  under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (hereinafter referred to as ‘BNSS’),  with a prayer to direct   the   Police/Investigating   Officer   of   Police   Station 1 Whether Reporters of local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? Yes. 2 2025:HHC:18775 Sundernagar, District Mandi, H.P., to release him on bail, in the event of his arrest. 2. According   to   the   applicant,   he   is   innocent person and has falsely been implicated, in this case, by the Police.   According to him, he has no connection with the crime, in question. 3. Applicant   has   filed   similar   application   before the Court of learned Special Judge, Sundernagar, District Mandi. However, his application has been dismissed vide order dated 16.4.2025. 4. Highlighting the fact that even after dismissal of the bail application, he has not received any notice, under NDPS Act, nor any formal notice under any other provision of   law,   from   the   police,   it   is   the   further   case   of   the applicant that as per the police case, the applicant was having   financial   transaction   between   accused   Gurlal Singh, whereas, according to him, accused Gurlal Singh and   his   wife,   the   applicant   and   his   wife   have   a   cloth business,   being   run     jointly,   in   the   name   and   style   of Jannat Cloth House, at Baragudha and they are regularly 3 2025:HHC:18775 purchasing the cloth from each other and for that purpose, made payment in account of Gurlal Singh and his wife. 5. All   these   facts   have   been   pleaded   to demonstrate that there is no evidence worth connecting the applicant with the crime, in question. 6. Another fact has also been highlighted that the main accused has been released on regular bail, by this Court, vide order dated 16.6.2025, passed in Cr.MP(M) No. 1260 of 2025, titled as Gurlal Singh versus State of H.P. 7. Apart from the above facts, the applicant, has given certain undertakings, for which, he is ready to abide by,   in   case,   any   direction   is   issued   under   Section   482 BNSS. 8. Learned   counsel   for   the   applicant   has   also relied upon the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Criminal Appeal No.4905 of 2024, titled as Sahil Firoz Shaikh  versus  the  State  of  Maharashtra  and prayed that   the   present   application   may   kindly   be   allowed   by directing the I.O./Police to release him on bail, in the event of his arrest, in the above titled case. 4 2025:HHC:18775 9. When   put   to   notice,   the   police   has   filed   the status report disclosing therein,  that  on 11.03.2025, ASI Daulat   Ram,   I.O.,   along   with   other   police   official,   was present at place known as Pungh, four­lane on Bilaspur to Mandi   line. They   were   on   patrolling   duty   and   were checking the vehicles there. They had checked about 40­ 50 vehicles on that day and then, they noticed the car bearing No.HR33D­5646 make Honda City, (colour white), being driven by its driver from Bilaspur side. 9.1. ASI  Daulat   Ram  had   given  the   signal  to  the driver   to   stop   the   vehicle,   consequently,   vehicle   was stopped on the left side of the road. Thereafter, ASI/IO Daulat   Ram,   directed   the   driver   to   show   the   requisite documents, upon which, the said person got   perplexed and   requested   him   not   to   check   the   documents. His activity raised a suspicion, in the mind of I.O., that he might  be  having  some  stolen  articles   in  the  vehicle,  as such, he has thought it proper to search the vehicle. He has   requested   the   drivers   of   the   vehicles   coming   from Bilaspur side to be the independent witnesses, but, all of 5 2025:HHC:18775 them, had put forward their personal problems and refused to be the witnesses. 9.2. After sometime, he noticed, one Tipper bearing registration No.HP65B­5200 being driven by its driver from Bilaspur side. The name of driver of the said Tipper was enquired, who, on inquiry,  disclosed his name as Sunil Dutt, son of Shri Shyam Lal. He was requested to be the independent witness, upon which, he agreed to do so. C. Upesh Rana No.908 was also associated as independent witness. Thereafter, C. Kuldeep No.596 was directed to record the proceedings. The name and address of driver of Vehicle No.HR­33D­5646, was enquired. On inquiry, he disclosed his name as Gurlal Singh, son of Shri Gurmail Singh, resident of District Sirsa. 9.3. Thereafter, the vehicle was searched. When the fuel   tank   box   was   opened,   then,   the   yellowish   brown coloured cello­tape, was found pasted near the lid. After removing the said cello­tape, a black coloured polythene envelope   was   found,   containing   eight   small   transparent pouches having brown coloured substance, which, on the basis  of experience,  as well  as,  disclosure  made by the 6 2025:HHC:18775 driver, was found to be Chitta. On weighment, the said chitta was found to be 40 grams. Other codal formalities were completed and after registration of the FIR, accused was arrested. 9.4. Thereafter,   on   12.03.2025,   the   case   property was produced before the Court, in order to comply with Section 52 of the ND&PS Act. 9.5. On   13.03.2025,   CDRs   and   consumer application forms  of the mobile phone of accused Gurlal Singh,   bearing   Nos.99921­55672,   91389­83046   and 70154­87961,   were   obtained. The   mobile   phone   bearing Nos. 99921­55672   and   91389­83046,   were   found   to   be issued   in   the   name   of   Shri   Gurlal   Singh,   whereas,   the mobile phone No.70154­87961 was found to be issued in the name of Baljeet Singh. 9.6. On the analysis of the CDRs, it was found that Gurlal Singh has visited Kullu­Manali from 27.02.2025 to 01.03.2025, frequently. On 08.03.2025, Gurlal Singh was also found to have visited Kullu­Manali. On 11.03.2025, Gurlal Singh was again on the way to Himachal Pradesh. 7 2025:HHC:18775 9.7. During   investigation,   on   14.03.2025,   accused Gurlal Singh, disclosed that on 11.03.2025, at place known as Aalsu, he had handed over Chitta to one Rohit and Rohit had transferred the amount of Rs.3100, Rs.2,000/­ and Rs.2,000/­through GPay app. Thereafter, he has made the statement   under   Section   23(2)   of   Bharatiya   Sakshya Adhiniyam,  disclosing   therein,   that   he   can   identify   the house of Shri Raj Singh, where, on 11.03.2025, he has handed over  chitta/heroin to Rohit. 9.8. Thereafter,   the   financial   transactions   were found to be made by Rohit on the mobile phone of accused Gurlal Singh. Similarly, the financial transactions were found   to   be   made   between   Gurlal   and   Raj   Singh (applicant). 9.9. On 23.03.2025, accused Rohit Rana was also associated and was arrested. During police custody, Rohit Rana   has   allegedly   disclosed   to   the   police   that   he   has purchased 2 grams Chitta from accused Gurlal Singh. 9.10. It   is   the   further   case   of   the   police   that   the involvement of Raj Singh (applicant), son of Baljeet Singh was also found, in this case. He has also transferred a 8 2025:HHC:18775 sum of Rs.250/­ on 21.02.2025, Rs. 500/­ on 26.02.2025, Rs. 500/­   on   27.02.2025,   Rs.100/­   on   7.3.2025,   and Rs.100/­ on 7.3.2025, total 4500/­, to the mobile phone of Gurlal Singh. 9.11. It  is   the   further   case   of   the   police  that vehicle No.HR33D­5646, was found to be registered in the name of Raj Singh (applicant). 10. On the basis of the above facts, a prayer has been made to dismiss the application. 11. Heard. 12. First of all, coming to the case law relied upon by the learned counsel for the applicant, with due respect to the law laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, this Court is of the view that the same, in no way, helps the case of the applicant, as the applicant before the Hon’ble Supreme   Court   was   woman   and   the   legislature,   in   its wisdom has added the proviso to Section 480 (ii) of BNSS, according to which, the Court may release a person on bail, if such person is a child or is a woman or is sick or infirm. As such, no benefit could be drawn from the said decision. 9 2025:HHC:18775 13. The   involvement   of   the   applicant   has   beenn found, on the basis of his telephonic conversation with accused Gurlal Singh, as well as, on the basis of the fact that  the  contraband  was   recovered  from  the  vehicle,  in question on 11.3.2025, driven by accused Gurlal Singh, which has been registered in the name of the applicant. 14. Considering the role attributed to the applicant, as per the status report, this Court is of the view that the applicant is not able to make out a case in his favour, wherein any direction can be issued to the police under Section   482   of   the   BNSS. Consequently,   the   present application is dismissed. 15. Any of the observations made herein above shall not be taken as an expression of opinion on the merits of the case as these observations are confined only to the disposal of the present application. ( Virender Singh ) Judge June 18, 2025(ps)