APHC010285952026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) [3521] TUESDAY,THE SIXTEENTH DAY OF JUNE TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX PRESENT THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 4596/2026 Between: NANDA KISHORE SINGH ALIAS CHOTU ALIAS KITTU,, S / O LATE SHIVARAJ SINGH,AGED ABOUT 31 YEARS, OCC ELECTRICIAN,R/O H.NO.13-5-158/31, AMLAPUR, KARWAN,TAPPACHABUTRA, HYDERABAD. ...PETITIONER/ACCUSED AND THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, Rep. by its Public Prosecutor, High Court of A.P., Amaravati, Through SHO, Gopalapatnam Police Station, Visakhapatnam City. ...RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANT Counsel for the Petitioner/accused: BASIREDDY GARI SOMANATHESWARA REDDY Counsel for the Respondent/complainant: PUBLIC PROSECUTOR 2 Dr.YLR,J Crl.P.No.4596 of 2026 Dated 16.06.2026 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.3 on bail in Crime No.201 of 2022 of Gopalapatnam Police Station, Visakhapatnam Commissionerate, registered against the Petitioner/Accused No.3 herein for the offences punishable under Section 20(b)(ii)(B) read with 8(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (for brevity ‘the NDPS Act’). 2. Sri B.Somanatheswara Reddy, the learned counsel for the petitioner, submits that the petitioner is innocent of the alleged offence and 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. The petitioner undertakes to strictly adhere to any conditions that may be imposed by this Court. In light of the foregoing submissions, learned counsel prays that the present petition be allowed in the interest of justice. 3. Per contra, Ms.P.Akhila Naidu, the learned Assistant Public Prosecutor 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 Dr.YLR,J Crl.P.No.4596 of 2026 Dated 16.06.2026 ongoing investigation and evading the process of law. In view of the foregoing submissions, it is urged that the petition be dismissed. 4. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Assistant Public Prosecutor. Perused the record. 5. As seen from the record, the petitioner is arraigned as Accused No.3. Based on the confession of Accused Nos.1 and 2, the role of the petitioner has come into light. The petitioner was arrested on 23.02.2026. He has been in judicial custody for the past 113 days. The alleged contraband in the instant case is only 1.950 Kgs of ganja, which is not a commercial quantity. So far, nine witnesses have been examined. They are all official witnesses. A substantial portion of the investigation has been completed. The petitioner is a permanent resident of Hyderabad. He has got fixed abode. No application has been filed seeking custodial interrogation of the petitioner. If the petitioner is enlarged on bail with stringent conditions, he may not venture to evade the process of law, threaten the witnesses, or tamper with the evidence. 6. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, the nature and gravity of allegations levelled against the Petitioner/Accused No.3, this Court is inclined to enlarge the Petitioner/Accused No.3 on bail with some stringent conditions. 7. In the result, the Criminal Petition is allowed with the following stringent conditions: 4 Dr.YLR,J Crl.P.No.4596 of 2026 Dated 16.06.2026 i. The Petitioner/Accused No.3 shall be enlarged on bail subject to his executing a bond for a sum of Rs.20,000/- (Rupees Twenty Thousand only) with two sureties each for the like sum each to the satisfaction of the learned II Additional Judicial Magistrate at Visakhapatnam. ii. The Petitioner/Accused No.3 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.3 shall not leave the limits of the District without prior permission from the Station House Officer concerned. iv. The Petitioner/Accused No.3 shall not commit or indulge in commission of any offence in future. v. The Petitioner/Accused No.3 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.3 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.P.No.4596 of 2026 Dated 16.06.2026 vii. The petitioner/Accused No.3 shall surrender his passport, if any, to the investigating officer. If he claims that he does not have passport, he shall submit an affidavit to that effect to the Investigating Officer. _________________________ DR. Y. LAKSHMANA RAO, J Date: 16.06.2026 RSI 6 Dr.YLR,J Crl.P.No.4596 of 2026 Dated 16.06.2026 THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 4596 of 2026 Date: 16.06.2026 RSI