APHC010282872026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH (Special Original Jurisdiction) MONDAY,THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF JUNE TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 4531/2026 Between: 1. SUKRI ARJUN, ,S/O. RAMBABU, AGED ABOUT 31 YEARS,R/O. MAMIDIPALLI VILLAGE, CHINTHAPALLI MANDAL,ALLURI SITHARAMA RAJU DISTRICT, A.P.,PRESENTLY RESIDING AT DHIKARASAHI VILLAGE,KORAPUT DISTRICT, ODISHA STATE. 1. THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, Rep by its Public Prosecutor,High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati. Petition under Section 437/438/439/482 of Cr.P.C and 528 of BNSS praying that in the circumstances stated in the Memorandum o Criminal Petition, the High Courtpleased to enlarge the Petitioner/Accused No.2 on bail pending disposal of Crime No.96/2024 of Rolugunta P.S., Anakapalli District and to pass Counsel for the Petitioner/accused: 1. GOLLAPALLI MAHESWARA RAO Counsel for the Respondent/complainant: 1. PUBLIC PROSECUTOR The Court made the following: 1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) MONDAY,THE FIFTEENTH DAY OF JUNE TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY SIX PRESENT THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 4531/2026 SUKRI ARJUN, ,S/O. RAMBABU, AGED ABOUT 31 YEARS,R/O. MAMIDIPALLI VILLAGE, CHINTHAPALLI MANDAL,ALLURI SITHARAMA RAJU DISTRICT, A.P.,PRESENTLY RESIDING AT DHIKARASAHI VILLAGE,KORAPUT DISTRICT, ODISHA STATE. ...PETITIONER/ACCUSED AND THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, Rep by its Public Prosecutor,High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati. ...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 Courtpleased to enlarge the Petitioner/Accused No.2 on bail pending disposal of Crime No.96/2024 of Rolugunta P.S., Anakapalli District and to pass Counsel for the Petitioner/accused: GOLLAPALLI MAHESWARA RAO Counsel for the Respondent/complainant: PUBLIC PROSECUTOR The Court made the following: IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH [3521] THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO SUKRI ARJUN, ,S/O. RAMBABU, AGED ABOUT 31 YEARS,R/O. MAMIDIPALLI VILLAGE, CHINTHAPALLI MANDAL,ALLURI SITHARAMA RAJU DISTRICT, A.P.,PRESENTLY RESIDING AT DHIKARASAHI VILLAGE,KORAPUT DISTRICT, ODISHA STATE. ...PETITIONER/ACCUSED THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, Rep by its Public ...RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANT Petition under Section 437/438/439/482 of Cr.P.C and 528 of BNSS f Grounds of Criminal Petition, the High Courtpleased to enlarge the Petitioner/Accused No.2 on bail pending disposal of Crime No.96/2024 of Rolugunta P.S., 2 THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 4531/2026 ORDER: This Criminal Petition has been filed under Section 480 and 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (for brevity “the BNSS”) by the petitioner/accused No.2 for granting of regular bail in connection with Crime No.96 of 2024 of Rolugunta Police Station, Anakapalli District, registered for the alleged offence punishable under Section 20(b)(ii)(C), 25 r/w 8(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, (for brevity ‘NDPS Act’). 2. Heard Sri Gollapalli Maheswara Rao, learned counsel for the petitioner, and the Ms.P.Akhila Naidu, learned Assistant Public Prosecutor appearing on behalf of the State/respondent. 3. The case of the prosecution is that on 06.04.2024, the petitioner arranged 590 KGs of ganja and the accused were caught red-handed while transporting the same. It is further alleged that the petitioner played a key role in purchasing, selling and organizing the ganja business. 4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner is innocent and has not committed any offence and that he has been falsely implicated in this case. He further submits that nothing was seized from the possession of the petitioner and that he has been implicated based on the confession of Accused Nos.3 to 5. He further submitted that the petitioner is 3 the sole breadwinner of his family and that he would abide by any conditions imposed by this Court and urged to enlarge the petitioner on bail. 5. Per contra, the learned Assistant Public Prosecutor submits that the petitioner is involved in dealing with 590 KGs of ganja, which is a commercial quantity. She further submitted that after thorough investigation, a charge- sheet has been filed vide NSC No.627 of 2025 on the file of the learned Principal District Judge, Visakhapatnam. She further submitted that the petitioner is involved in one similar case and hence urged to dismiss the bail petition. 6. Thoughtful consideration is bestowed on the arguments advanced by the learned counsel on both sides. I have perused the entire record. 7. In the light of the case of the prosecution and the contentions of the learned Counsel for both the sides, now the point for consideration is: “Whether the petitioner is entitled for grant of bail?” 8. On perusal of the record, it reveals that on 06.04.2024, a case in Crime No.96 of 2024 was registered as Accused Nos.3 to 5 were found in possession and transportation of 590 KGs of ganja. The petitioner was arrayed as an accused pursuant to execution of PT warrant. As on 29.08.2025, the petitioner has been in judicial custody for the past 290 days. There is one similar adverse antecedent against the petitioner vide Crime No.138 of 2025 on the file of Anakapalli Police Station involving transportation 4 of commercial quantity. After completion of investigation, the police have filed charge-sheet, which is numbered as NSC No.627 of 2025. Whether the confession of Accused Nos.3 to 5 is valid or not is a matter for trial. The allegation against the petitioner is that he was involved in dealing with 590 KGs of ganja, which is commercial in nature. 9. Having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, the gravity and nature of the allegations levelled against the petitioner, this Court is not inclined to enlarge the petitioner on bail, as the request of the learned counsel for the petitioner, is not found convincing and reasonable, at this juncture. Hence, the Criminal Petition is dismissed. _________________________ DR. Y. LAKSHMANA RAO, J Date: 15.06.2026 KKV 5 THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO 26 CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 4531/2026 Date: 15.06.2026 KKV 6