1 2026:HHC:3555 IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA Cr. MP (M) No.    :     165  of 2026 Decided on  : 23 rd   February, 2026 Vishal Sharma …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. Aditya   Kaushal,   Advocate   vice Mr. Khem Raj, Advocate. For the respondent   : Mr. Mohinder   Zharaick,   Additional Advocate   General   with   Mr. Rohit Sharma & Ms. Avni Kochhar Mehta, Deputy Advocate General. Virender Singh, Judge (Oral) Applicant­Vishal Sharma, 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.237/2025,   dated   2nd  October, 2025,  registered   with  Police   Station,   Sadar   Chamba, District Chamba, H.P., under Sections 21, 25 and 29 of 1 Whether Reporters of local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? Yes. 2 2026:HHC:3555 the   Narcotic   Drugs   &   Psychotropic   Substances   Act (hereinafter referred to as the ‘NDPS Act’). 2. According   to   the   applicant,   he   is   innocent person and has falsely been implicated, by the Police, in this case. According to him, the police could not collect any evidence to connect the applicant with the crime in question. 3. It is the further case of the applicant that the contraband allegedly recovered, in the present case, does not fall within the definition of ‘commercial quantity’, as such,   rigors   of   Section   37   of   the   NDPS   Act   are   not applicable, in the present case. 4. As   per   the   applicant,   investigation,   in   the present case, is complete and no useful purpose would be served by keeping the applicant in judicial custody, that too, for indefinite period. 5. According   to   the   applicant,   apart   from   the present case,  FIR No. 40, dated 26.02.2025, under Section 21 of the NDPS Act, with Police Station Chamba and FIR No.44 dated 07.10.2020, under Sections 363, 366A, 376 IPC   and   Section   4   of   POCSO   Act,   with   Police   Station 3 2026:HHC:3555 Dharkalan,   District   Pathankot,   Punjab,   have   also   been registered against him. Trial of these two cases is stated to be pending. 6. The   applicant   has   earlier   tried   his   luck,   by moving   similar   application,   before   the   Court   of   learned Special   Judge­II,   Chamba,   however,   his   application   has been dismissed on 09.12.2025. 7. Apart from this, learned counsel appearing for the applicant, has given certain undertakings, on behalf of the applicant, for which, the applicant is ready to abide by, in   case,   ordered   to   be   released,   on   bail,   during   the pendency of the trial. 8. On the basis of the above facts, a prayer has been made to allow the application. 9. When   put   to   notice,   the   police   has   filed the  status report, disclosing therein,  that on 02.10.2025, HC   Sanjay   Kumar,   I.O.   No.64,   along   with   other   police officials, was on patrolling duty and duty to detect crime, relating to narcotic drugs. 9.1. At about 02.15 a.m., the police party had put the picketing at Ied Nallah, on Chamba Tissa road near 4 2026:HHC:3555 rain shelter. During picketing, the I.O., noticed a tipper No.PB06AK 2943, being driven by its driver, coming from Pukhari   side   towards   Chamba. HC   Sanjay   Kumar signalled the driver to stop the said truck. 9.2. On inquiry, the driver disclosed his name as Sanjay Kumar son of Chamaru Ram. When the I.O. was talking   with   Sanjay   Kumar,   meanwhile,   a   motorcycle bearing registration No.PB46AN­1810, was moving towards Chamba side. 9.3. The   pillion   rider   was   found   keeping   a   black coloured ruck sack near his legs. On seeing the police party   present   there,   the   motorcyclist,   all   of   a   sudden, stopped the motorcycle and the pillion rider threw the ruck sack towards the right side of the road. 9.4. Thereafter, the motorcyclist tried to turn back his motorcycle, upon which, HC Sanjay Kumar, developed a suspicion, as such, he has nabbed the motorcyclist and the   pillion   rider   with   the   help   of   other   police   officials. Thereafter, HC  Sanjay  Kumar,  inquired the motorcyclist about the reason for throwing the ruck sack and fleeing 5 2026:HHC:3555 away  from the spot, upon which, both of them became perplexed and could not give satisfactory answer. 9.5. Thereafter, suspicion has raised in the mind of the   I.O.,   as   such,   they   have   inquired   about   their antecedents. On inquiry, the motorcyclist has disclosed his   name   as   Vishal   Sharma   son   of   Kamal   Sharma (applicant)   and   the   pillion   rider   disclosed   his   name   as Harcharan Singh. 9.6. Thereafter, the tipper driver Sanjay Kumar and the official from the pillion were associated as witnesses and ruck sack thrown by the pillion rider was checked. On opening,   the   same   was   found   containing   other   articles, along with white coloured polythene envelope. When, the knot   of   the   same   was   untied,   the   same   was   found containing   brown   coloured   granular   shaped   substance, which, on checking on drug detection kit, was found to be Heroin/Chitta. 9.7. On weighment, the said Chitta was found to be 10.26   grams. The   said   contraband   was   taken   into possession. 6 2026:HHC:3555 10. After   completion   of   the   codal   formalities,   the FIR   was   registered   and   the   accused   was   arrested. Thereafter,   the   contraband,   after   conducting   inventory proceedings, was sent to SFSL Junga, from where, positive report has been received. 11. It has also been mentioned, in the status report, that investigation, in the present case, is complete and the charge­sheet has been filed, in the Court of learned Special Judge, Chamba on 28.11.2025. 12. It   has   also   been   mentioned,   in   the   status report, that as per the record, following cases are found to have been registered against the applicant:­ i) FIR   No.44,   dated   07.10.2020,   registered   under Sections 363, 366A, 376 IPC and Section 4 of the POCSO   Act,   Police   Station   Dharkalan,   District Pathankot, Punjab. ii) FIR   No.40,   dated   26.02.2025,   registered   under Section 21 of the NDPS Act, with Police Station Sadar Chamba, District Chamba, H.P. 13. On the basis of the above facts, a prayer has been made to dismiss the application. 14. So far as registration of other cases, against the applicant,   out  of  which,  one  is  under  the  provisions  of NDPS Act, is concerned, admittedly, in those cases, the 7 2026:HHC:3555 applicant has not been convicted by the competent Court of law. 15. Mere registration  of the  cases,  does  not take away the presumption of innocence, which is still available to the applicant, since, person is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty, after the trial. 16. Moreover,   the   status   report   is   totally   silent about the fact as to whether any effort has been made by the Police to get the bail, in those cases, cancelled. 17. The   contraband   allegedly   recovered,   in   the present   case,   does   not   fall   within   the   definition   of ‘commercial quantity’, as such, rigors of Section 37 of the NDPS Act are not applicable, in the present case. 18. The   investigation,   in   the   present   case,   is complete and the applicant is in judicial custody. As such, this Court is of the view that no useful purpose would be served by keeping the applicant, in judicial  custody, that too, for indefinite period, as the chances of commencement and conclusion of the trial, against the applicant, in near future, are not so bright. 8 2026:HHC:3555 19. Moreover, the application cannot be rejected as a   matter   of   punishment,   as   pre­trial   punishment   is prohibited   under   the   law. Punishment   can   only   be imposed, after the full fledged trial. 20. Considering all these facts, this Court is of the view that the bail application is liable to be allowed and is accordingly allowed. The applicant is ordered to be released on bail, in case FIR No.237 of 2025, dated 02.10.2025, registered,  under Sections 21, 25 and 29 of the NDPS Act,   with  Police   Station,   Sadar   Chamba,   District Chamba, H.P, on his furnishing personal bond, in the sum of Rs.50,000/­, with one surety, in the like amount, to the satisfaction of learned trial Court. 21. This order of release, however, shall be subject to the following conditions :­ “a)   Applicant shall regularly attend the trial Court on   each   and   every   date   of   hearing   and   if prevented   by   any   reason   to   do   so,   seek exemption from appearance by filing appropriate application; b) Applicant shall not tamper with the prosecution evidence   nor   hamper   the   investigation   of   the case in   any   manner whatsoever; c)     Applicant shall not make any inducement, threat or promises to any person acquainted with the 9 2026:HHC:3555 facts of   the case   so   as   to   dissuade them from disclosing such facts to the Court or the Police Officer; and d) Applicant shall not leave the territory of India without the prior permission of the Court.” 22. 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 bail application. 23. It is made clear that the respondent­State is at liberty to move an appropriate application, in case, any of the bail conditions is found to be violated by the applicant. 24. The Registry is directed to forward a soft copy of the bail order to the Superintendent of Jail, District Jail, Chamba, District Chamba, through e­mail, with a direction to enter the date of grant of bail in the e­prison software. 25. In case, the applicant is not released within a period of seven days from the date of grant of bail, the Superintendent   of   Jail,   District   Jail,   Chamba,   District Chamba,  is directed to inform this fact to the Secretary, DLSA, Chamba. The  Superintendent of Jail,  District Jail, Chamba, District Chamba,  is further directed that if the 10 2026:HHC:3555 applicant fails to furnish the bail bonds, as per the order passed by this Court, within a period of one month from today, then, the said fact be submitted to this Court. ( Virender Singh ) February 23, 2026 ( ps ) Judge PRADEEP Digitally signed by PRADEEP Date: 2026.02.23 16:27:35 +0530