APHC010063112026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) [3396] MONDAY, THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF FEBRUARY TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX PRESENT THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 951/2026 Between: 1. MANGALAGIRI APPARAO, S/O. MANGALAGIRI NARAYANAMMA, AGED ABOUT 44 YEARS,R/O. H.NO.25-77, PA JUNCTION, ARAKU ROAD,SRUNGAVARAPUKOTA TOWN, VIZIANAGARAM DISTRICT. ...PETITIONER/ACCUSED AND 1. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, Rep by its Public Prosecutor, High Court of Andhra Pradesh. ...RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANT Petition under Section 437/438/439/482 of Cr.P.C and 528 of BNSS praying that in the circumstances stated in the Memorandum of Grounds of Criminal Petition, the High Court pleased to enlarge the Petitioner/Accused No.5 on bail pending disposal of Crime No.159/2023 of Kancharapalem P.S., Visakhapatnam District and to pass Counsel for the Petitioner/accused: 1. BOOSARA V N PRAVEEN KUMAR Counsel for the Respondent/complainant: 1. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR 2 THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 951/2026 ORDER: This Criminal Petition, under Sections 480 and 483 of the BNSS, has been filed by the Petitioner herein/Accused No.5, seeking regular bail, in Crime No.159 of 2023 of Kancharapalem Police Station, Visakhapatnam District, registered for the offences punishable under Sections 20(b)(ii)(C), 25 read with 8(C) of the NDPS Act. 2. Case of the prosecution is that, on 15.05.2023 at about 09.00 a.m., the Sub-Inspector of Police, Kancharapalem PS, along with his staff and mediators, apprehended the accused Nos.1 to 4 and seized 4 kgs of ganja from their possession in the presence of mediators and thereafter, they were remanded to judicial custody. Thereafter, basing on the confession of the Accused Nos. 1 to 4, the Petitioner is arrayed as Accused No.5. 3. Heard Sri Boosara V N Praveen Kumar, learned counsel for the Petitioner and Mrs.K.Priyanka Lakshmi, learned Assistant Public Prosecutor on behalf of the State. 4. Learned counsel for the Petitioner would submit that the Petitioner was arrested on 02.01.2026, since then, he has been in judicial custody. The Petitioner was falsely implicated in the present crime. Except the confessional statement of the co-accused, there is no other material to connect the Petitioner to the alleged crime. He would further submit that the contraband 3 seized in this case is 4 Kgs, which is a non-commercial quantity. Learned counsel for the Petitioner finally prays to grant bail to the Petitioner. 5. Learned Assistant Public Prosecutor vehemently opposed the petition and would submit that the Petitioner had evaded arrest for more than one year. She further submitted that the Petitioner is involved in another case under the same provisions, i.e., in N.S.C. No. 41 of 2024, pending on the file of the Court of the I Additional District and Sessions Judge, Vizianagaram. She contended that the petitioner is the seller and kingpin who supplied the contraband to the other accused. Learned Assistant Public Prosecutor finally prays for dismissal of the petition. 6. In view of the aforesaid facts and circumstances of the case, this Court is of the opinion that the Petitioner does not deserve to be released on regular bail at this stage. Accordingly, the Criminal Petition is dismissed. As a sequel thereto, the miscellaneous applications, if any, pending in this Criminal Petition shall stand closed. __________________________________________ DR. JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA Date: 16.02.2026. UPS 4 159 THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE VENKATA JYOTHIRMAI PRATAPA CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 951/2026 Dt.16.02.2026 UPS