CRL OP(MD). No.17130 of 2025 BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT ( Criminal Jurisdiction ) Date : 17.04.2026 PRESENT THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE P.DHANABAL CRL OP(MD)No.17130 of 2025 Onankutti @ Ashwin ... Petitioner / Accused No.2 Versus The State of Tamilnadu, Rep by the Inspector of Police, Thanjavur Taluk Police Station, Thanjavur District. (Crime No.524 of 2025) ... Respondent / Complainant PRAYER :-Criminal Original Petition filed under Section 483 of the BNSS, 2023, to enlarge the petitioner on bail in Crime No.524 of 2025 on the file of the respondent police. For Petitioner : Mr.R.Kavinprasath, Advocate For Respondent : Mr.B.Nambi Selvan, Additional Public Prosecutor 1/6 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis CRL OP(MD). No.17130 of 2025 ORDER : The Court made the following order :- The petitioner/accused, who was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on 30.07.2025 for the offences punishable under Sections 8(c), 20(b)(ii)(B) and 29(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, in Crime No.524 of 2025 on the file of the respondent police, seeks bail. 2. The case of the prosecution is that, on 29.07.2025 at about 14.30 hours, the respondent police, based upon secret information, proceeded along with a police party and necessary equipment, and found the accused persons in possession of 6 kgs of ganja and 520 gram of diazepam. Hence, the case has been registered. 3. The learned counsel appearing for the petitioner would submit that the petitioner is innocent and has not committed any offence as alleged by the prosecution. He would further submit that 1.5 kg of ganja alone was recovered from the petitioner. He would also submit that the petitioner was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on 30.07.2025. Hence, he seeks grant of bail for the petitioner. 2/6 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis CRL OP(MD). No.17130 of 2025 4. The learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondent police would submit that the petitioner has been arrayed as A2. He would further submit that there are 2 previous cases pending against the petitioner, out of which, one case in similar nature. Therefore, he opposed the grant of bail to the petitioner. 5. This Court heard the learned counsel appearing on either side and perused the materials placed on record. 6. Considering the rival submissions made by the learned counsel on either side, the nature of offence, even according to the prosecution the contraband involved is a commercial quantity, the contraband was recovered from each person through separate mahazar and in respect of this petitioner, the recovered contraband is 1.5 kgs, which is not commercial quantity, and the fact that though the petitioner has one previous case of a similar nature, he has already been granted bail in the said case and also considering the period of incarceration of the petitioner from 30.07.2025, this Court is inclined to grant bail to the petitioner subject to the following conditions: 3/6 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis CRL OP(MD). No.17130 of 2025 [a] Accordingly, the petition is allowed and the petitioner is ordered to be released on bail on executing a bond for a sum of Rs.10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand only) with two sureties, each for a like sum to the satisfaction of the learned Judicial Magistrate No.II, Thanjavur, and on further conditions that :- [b] the petitioner shall report before the Trial Court daily at 10.30 a.m. and 05.00 p.m., on all working days, until further orders; [c] the petitioner shall not commit any offence similar to the offence of which he is accused, or suspected, or of the commission of which he is suspected; [d] the petitioner shall not abscond either during investigation or trial; [e] the petitioner shall not directly or indirectly make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the Court or to any police officer or tamper with the evidence; 4/6 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis CRL OP(MD). No.17130 of 2025 [f] On breach of any of the aforesaid conditions, the learned Magistrate/Trial Court is entitled to take appropriate action against the petitioner in accordance with law as if the conditions have been imposed and the petitioner released on bail by the learned Magistrate/Trial Court himself as laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in P.K.Shaji vs. State of Kerala [(2005)AIR SCW 5560]; and [g] If the accused thereafter absconds, a fresh FIR can be registered under Section 269 BNS. 17.04.2026 pal To 1.The Judicial Magistrate No.II, Thanjavur. 2.The Superintendent, Central Prison, Trichy. 3.The Inspector of Police, Thanjavur Taluk Police Station, Thanjavur District. 4.The Additional Public Prosecutor, Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, Madurai. 5/6 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis CRL OP(MD). No.17130 of 2025 P.DHANABAL ,J. pal ORDER IN CRL OP(MD) No.17130 of 2025 Date : 17.04.2026 6/6 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis