1 2025:HHC:33507 IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA Cr.MP(M) No.: 2194 of 2025 Reserved on :    15.09.2025 Decided on   :    26.09.2025 Emmanuel Onyeka …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. Vipin   Pandit   &   Mr. Parikshit Sharma, Advocates. For the respondent   : Mr. Varun   Chandel   Additional Advocate   General,   assisted   by   ASI Kuldeep   Kumar,   Police   Station Sadar, Solan. Virender Singh, Judge Applicant–Emmanuel   Onyeka,   has   filed   the present application, under Section  483  of the  Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita  (hereinafter referred to as the 'BNSS'), seeking the relief of bail, during the pendency of the   trial,   arising   out   of  FIR   No.31/2024,   dated   18th February,   2024,   registered   with  Police   Station,   Sadar 1 Whether Reporters of local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? Yes. 2 2025:HHC:33507 Solan, District Solan, H.P., under Sections 21 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and  Psychotropic Substances Act (hereinafter referred to as the ‘NDPS Act’),  Section 14 of Foreigner Act and Section 201 of the Indian Penal Code (hereinafter referred to as ‘the IPC’). 2. According   to   the   applicant,   he   is   innocent person and has falsely been implicated, in this case, at the alleged disclosure made by co­accused Mehraj. 3. The   applicant   has   further   pleaded   that applicant has no concern whatsoever with  the crime in question. The applicant is stated to be citizen of Federal Republic   of   Nigeria,   having   passport   bearing No.AO7999535. 4. It   is   the   further   case   of   the   applicant   that nothing is to be recovered for him and from the last one year, he is in judicial custody, whereas, the charge­sheet has been filed in the competent Court of law and the trial has not yet commenced. 5. Apart from this, the learned counsel appearing on behalf of the applicant, has given certain undertakings, on behalf of the applicant, for which, the applicant is ready 3 2025:HHC:33507 to abide by, in case, ordered to be released, on bail, during the pendency of the trial. 6. As per the case of the applicant, the contraband allegedly recovered, in the present case, is falling within the definition of small quantity, as such, rigors of Section 37 of the NDPS Act, are not applicable, in the present case. 7. The applicant has also tried his luck by moving similar   applications,   before   the   learned   Special   Judge, Solan,   however,   his   first   application   was   dismissed   as withdrawn,   on   19.05.2025,   whereas,   the   second application was dismissed on 16.06.2025. 8. On   the   basis   of   the   above   facts,   Mr. Vipin Pandit and Mr. Parikshit Sharma, Advocates, have prayed that during the pendency of the trial, the applicant may kindly   be   released   on   bail,   by   allowing   the   present application. 9. When put to notice, police has filed the status report,   disclosing   therein,   that   on   18.02.2024,   SI   Gian Chand,   Incharge   Detection   Cell,   Police   Station   Sadar, Solan,   has   submitted   a   rukka   to   Police   Station   Sadar Solan, mentioning therein, that on 18.02.2024, he, along 4 2025:HHC:33507 with   other   police   officials,   in   official   vehicle   No.HP14B­ 9570, was on patrolling duty and duty to detect the crime relating   to   narcotic   substances,   towards   Kotlanala   and Dohari Diwar side. 9.1. At about 02.30 p.m., when, the police party was coming from old DC Office, Solan towards Kotlanala side, then, the I.O. received a secret information that near Hari Mandi,   Kotlanala,   one   Jyoti   Prakash   is   having   four storeyed building, in which, on the first floor, one room set is rented out to Ahamadulla. As per the information, his son Mehraj is present in the said room, who is dealing in the   narcotic   substances   and   suspicion   is   that   the contraband could be in his possession. 9.2. As per the information, if the said Mehraj is nabbed and room is searched, large quantity of contraband could be recovered. 9.3. The said information was found to be authentic and reliable and according to the I.O., in case, he obtains search   warrants   or   authorization,   there   is   possibility   of removal of the contraband from the said room. As such, 5 2025:HHC:33507 I.O. has complied with Section 42(2) of the NDPS Act and submitted the same to his superior officer, Solan. 9.4. Thereafter, the official vehicle was parked near the gate of Tehsil Office and one Suraj Prakash, who was found present near Kashyap Niwas, was associated in the investigation as independent witness, after apprising him about the secret information. 9.5. Thereafter,   the   police   reached   at   the   spot   in Kashyap Niwas. Room No.2, on the first floor was knocked at about 3.05 p.m.   On knocking, one young man came, who,   on   inquiry,   disclosed   his   name   as   Mehraj   son   of Ahamedulla. 9.6. The I.O. apprised the said young man about the secret information and thereafter, the search of the room was conducted. During search of the room, a blue and gray coloured ruck­sack was found, which, on opening was found to be containing two carry bags. In one carry bag, strips of four orange coloured tablets were found, which, on counting were found to be 39 strips. Those strips were found to be of Tapentadol Tablets 100 grams (tapdro­100). Total tablets were found to be 390. 6 2025:HHC:33507 9.7. Mehraj   was   inquired   about   the   licence   or prescription   slips,   however,   he   could   not   produce   the same. Thereafter, Drugs Inspector, was contacted, who has   opined   that   those   drugs   were   falling   within   the definition of Section 18 of the Drugs and Cosmetic Act. Currency notes of Rs.83,750/­ was also recovered. Apart from this, 3.59 grams, Chitta/Heroin, was also found. 9.8. The   contraband   was   taken   into   possession. Thereafter,   after   registration   of   the   FIR,   accused   was arrested. On   21.02.2025,   the   contraband,   so   recovered, was sent to SFSL, Junga. 10. During investigation, Mehraj, disclosed that the recovered contraband was brought from African National, namely, James and disclosed that he could identify the place, where the said James has supplied the contraband. Hence,   on   6.3.2024,   police   team,   along   with   Mehraj, proceeded to Delhi to search for James. 11. On   7.3.2024,   the   spot   was   identified,   where, Jamesh   allegedly,   handed   over   the   contraband   to   him. James was searched for. He was found at Rajpur Khurd. On inquiry, he has disclosed his name as James Okike 7 2025:HHC:33507 Emmanuel. On   seeing   the   police   team,   he   became perplexed and threw away some black substance out of his right pocket, which was, later on, found to be Chitta. On weighment, the said Chitta was found to be 4.67 grams. 12. The   recovered   contraband   was   taken   into possession and applicant accused was arrested. He could not produce his passport and Visa to the Police. Since, the applicant was found to be in India, in violation to the Visa conditions, as such, Section 14 of the Foreigner Act was added, in this case. 13. The contraband, so recovered, was also sent to SFSL,   Junga,   from   where,   positive   report   has   been received. 14. Thereafter, charge­sheet has been filed against accused Mehraj, under Sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act and against the applicant, under Sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act,  Section 14 of the Foreigner Act and Section 201 of the IPC, before the Court of learned Special Judge­I, Solan. For   the   recovery   of   390   tablets   of   Tapentadol tablets, the matter was entrusted to Drugs Inspector. 8 2025:HHC:33507 15. Investigation, in the present, is complete. As per the stand taken by the Police, charge  sheet, under Sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act, Section 14 of the Foreigner Act and Section 201 of the IPC, has been filed against the applicant, before the learned trial Court. 16. The   contraband   allegedly   recovered,   in   the present   case,   does   not   fall   within   the   definition   of ‘commercial quantity’. As such, the rigors of Section 37 of NDPS Act are not applicable, in this case. 17 According   to   the   case   of   the   police,   the applicant could not produce his passport and visa to the Police. When,   the   applicant   could   not   produce   the passport and visa, then the release of the applicant cannot be ordered as his nationality, which has been mentioned in the status report, as Nigeria, on the basis of the alleged information given by the accused to the police, is also not verified yet. 18. In   the   status   report,   it   has   again   been reasserted that although the applicant claimed to be the Nigerian National, but, he could not produce any document regarding his identification passport  and visa. In such 9 2025:HHC:33507 situation, the applicant cannot take benefit of the decision of   the   Hon’ble   Supreme   Court   in  Criminal   Appeal Nos.2814­2815 of 2024,  titled as  Frank Vitus versus Narcotics Control Bureau & Others, 2025 INSC 30, as the   Hon’ble   Supreme   Court   has   passed   the   following directions:­ “8. In addition to what we held by judgment and order dated 08th July, 2024, we issue the following directions: (i) While granting bail to a foreigner within the meaning of the Act, the concerned court shall issue   direction   to   the   State   or   prosecuting agency,   as   the   case   may   be,   to   immediately communicate   the   order   granting   bail   to   the concerned Registration Officer appointed under Rule   3   of   the   Rules   who,   in   turn,   shall communicate   the   order   to   all   concerned authorities   including   the   Civil   Authorities. If such information is furnished, it will enable the authorities   under   the   Act,   the   Rules   and   the Order to take appropriate steps in accordance with the law. ...” 19. When the nationality of the applicant has not yet been ascertained, then the presence of the applicant before the learned trial Court cannot be secured, in case he is ordered to be released on bail. 20. Moreover, there is no document, produced on the file to show that the applicant is holder of passport, 10 2025:HHC:33507 particulars of which, have been mentioned in para 6 of the bail application. 21. In   the   absence   of   documents,   the   said   fact cannot be taken as gospel truth, when, it is the specific case of the police that the applicant could not produce any document pertaining to his passport or visa. 22. Considering the fact that the police has filed the charge­sheet against accused Mehraj, under Sections 21 and   29   of   the   NDPS   Act,   for   allegedly   possessing   3.59 grams of Chitta and against the applicant, under Sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act, Section 14 of the Foreigner Act and Section 201 of the IPC, for allegedly possessing 4.67 grams of Chitta, the total quantity of the contraband falls within the definition of ‘intermediate quantity’, as such, the arguments of the learned counsel for the applicant, holds no water, that the contraband, which has been allegedly recovered from the possession of the accused falls within the definition of small quantity. 23. Considering all these facts, there is no occasion for  this  Court  to  release  the  applicant,   on  bail,  at   this stage.  As such, the present application is dismissed. 11 2025:HHC:33507 24. 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 ) September 26, 2025 ( ps ) Judge