\ *% APHC010518462026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH ' AT AMARAVATI WEDNESDAY, THE DAY OF OCTOBER, 2026 •? PRESENT THE HONOURABLE Dr. JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 8711 OF 2026 Between: Karnnamkott Harsh Harsha, S/o Rajesh, Aged 21 years, R/o D.no. 25-8-129, Sivalayam Street, I Town Area, Visakhapatnam City ...Petitioner/Accused No.2 AND The State of Andhra Pradesh, Rep. by its Public Prosecutor, High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati. ...Respondent/Complainant Petition under Section 480 & 483 of BNSS., is filed praying that in the circumstances stated in the grounds filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be pleased to release the Petitioner/Accused. No.2 on bail in Crime No. 131 of 2026, on the file of the I Town Police Station, Visakhapatnam City. The petition coming on for hearing, upon perusing the Petition and the affidavit filed in support thereof and upon hearing the arguments of Sri. DASARI RAMAKOTESWAR RAO, Counsel for the Petitioner and of PUBLIC PROSECUTOR for Respondent; The Court made the following: 2 Dr.YLR.J Crl.RNo.8711 of 2026 Dated 07 10 2026 The Court made the following: „ ORDER: The Criminal Petition has been filed under Sections 480 and 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for brevity ‘the BNSS’), seeking to enlarge the Petitioner/Accused No.2 on bail in Crime No.131 of 2026 of I Town Police Station, Visakhapatnam Commissionerate District, registered for the alleged offences punishable under Section 20(b)(ii)(B) read with 8(c) read with of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (for brevity ‘the NDPSAct’). Sri D.Ramakoteswara Rao, the learned Counsel for the Petitioner 2. submits that the Petitioner is innocent of the alleged offence. He has been falsely implicated by the police. It is further submitted that the Petitioner is the sole earning member of the family and, therefore, his incarceration would cause undue hardship to his dependents. He is a law-abiding citizen. The Petitioner undertakes to strictly adhere to any conditions that may be imposed by this Court. Hence, it is urged to allow the Petition. Per contra, Mr.A.Sai Rohith, the learned Assistant Public Prosecutor 3. vehemently opposed the grant of bail to the Petitioner, submitting that the investigation is still underway and several material witnesses remain to be examined. It is contended,that if the Petitioner is released on bail at this stage, there is a strong likelihood that he may abscond, thereby hampering the 3 DrYLR.J Crl.RNo.8711 of 2026 Dated 07.10.2026 ongoing investigation and evading the process of law and urged to dismiss the Petition. Heard the learned counsel for the Petitioner and the learned Assistant Public Prosecutor. Perused the record. On perusal of the record, the petitioner is an impressionable age of 21 years. He is arraigned as Accused No.2. The petitioner was apprehended on 07.08.2026. He has been in judicial custody for the past 61 days. He was allegedly found in possession of 2.00 Kgs of ganja. The seized contraband is not a commercial quantity. There is one similar adverse antecedent reported against the petitioner, however, the said antecedent has not been disclosed in the petition. 6. The petitioner is a permanent resident of Visakhapatnam District and has got fixed abode. If the petitioner is enlarged on bail subject to stringent conditions, there is no likelihood of his absconding, threatening the witnesses, tampering with the evidence or hampering the further course of investigation. No application seeking custodial interrogation of the petitioner has been filed. Having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, the nature and gravity of the allegations levelled against the petitioner, this Court is inclined to enlarge the Petitioner/Accused No.2 stringent conditions. In the result, the Criminal Petition is allowed with the following stringent 4. 5. 7. on bail, subject to certain 8. conditions: 4 Dr.YLR.J Crl.PNo.8711 of 2026 Dated 07.10.2026 i. The Petitioner/Accused No.2 shall be enlarged on bail subject to his executing a bond for a sum of Rs.50,000/- (Rupees Fifty Thousand only) with two sureties for the like sum each to the satisfaction of the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Visakhapatnam. ii. The Petitioner/Accused No.2 shall appear before the Station House Officer concerned, on every Saturday in between 10:00 am and 05:00 pm, till filing of the charge sheet. iii. The Petitioner/Accused No.2 shall not leave the limits of the State of Andhra Pradesh without prior permission from the Station House Officer concerned. iv. The Petitioner/Accused No.2 shall not commit or indulge in commission of any offence while on bail. V. The Petitioner/Accused No.2 shall cooperate with the Investigating Officer in further investigation of the case and shall make himself available for interrogation by the Investigating Officer as and when required. vi. The Petitioner/Accused No.2 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/her from disclosing such facts to the Court. 5 Dr.YLR.J Crl.PNo.8711 of 2026 Dated 07.10.2026 vii. The Petitioner/Accused No.2 shall surrender his passport, if any, to the Investigating Officer. If he claims that he does not have passport, he shall submit affidavit to that effect to the Investigating Officer. / SD/- S.SHYAMALA assistant RE^TRAR SECTION OFFICER //TRUE COPY// To, 1 The Chief Judicial Magistrate at Visakhapatnam. 2. The Superintendent, Central Prison, Visakhapatnam, Visakhapatnam District. House Officer, I Town Police Station, Visakhapatnam. DASARl RAMAKOTESWAR RAO, Advocate [OPUC] PROSECUTOR, High Court of Andhra 3. The Station 4. One CC to Sri. 5. Two CCs to the PUBLIC Pradesh, Amaravati. [OUT] 6. One spare copy % HIGH COURT Dr.YLR, J DATED:07/10/2026 BAIL ORDER CRLP NO. 8711 OF 2026 * ;■ t.S < 3 I ALLOWED