1 CGHC010361142026 2026:CGHC:42609 NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR MCRC No. 8698 of 2026 Praveen Rajput S/o Gend Singh Rajput Aged About 23 Years R/o Village - Bhanpuri, P.S. Rampayali District Balaghat M.P.. ... Applicant versus State Of Chhattisgarh Through Police Station Nagarnar District Bastar Chhattisgarh. ... Non-Applicant For Applicant : Mr. Ashish Gangwani, Advocate For Non-Applicant : Ms. Ankita Shukla, Panel Lawyer Hon’ble Shri Justice Rakesh Mohan Pandey Order on Board 30/09/2026 1. The applicant has preferred this First Bail Application under Section 483 of the BNSS, 2023 for grant of regular bail, as he has been arrested in connection with Crime No. 51/2026, registered at Police Station Nagarnar, District – Bastar (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Section 20(b) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (for short, NDPS Act). 2. The case of the prosecution, in brief, is that on 11.04.2026, acting upon secret information received from an informant, the police party conducted a raid and allegedly recovered 5.265 kg of contraband Ganja from the illegal possession of the applicant. Accordingly, the aforesaid 2 offence was registered against the applicant and he was taken into custody. 3. Learned counsel appearing for the applicant would submit that the applicant is innocent and has falsely been implicated in the present case. He would further submit that the contraband allegedly seized from the possession of the applicant is 5.265 kg, which is below the commercial quantity of 20 kg and constitutes an intermediate quantity, thus the stringent bar under Section 37 of the NDPS Act not attracting. He would also submit that the applicant has no criminal antecedents, is in jail since 11.04.2026, the investigation has already been completed and the charge-sheet has been filed before the competent court, and the conclusion of the trial is likely to take some time; therefore, he prays for grant of regular bail to the applicant. 4. On the other hand, the learned State counsel would oppose the bail application and submit that 5.265 kg contraband Ganja was seized from the physical possession of the applicant; however, she does not dispute the fact that the seized quantity is intermediate, the applicant has no criminal record, and the charge-sheet has already been filed. 5. I have heard learned counsel appearing for the parties and perused the case diary. 6. Taking into consideration the facts and circumstances of the case, the nature and gravity of the offence, and the fact that the seized quantity of Ganja (5.265 kg) is intermediate quantity, whereby the rigours of Section 37 of the NDPS Act do not apply; also considering that the applicant has no criminal antecedents, the charge-sheet has already been filed, the applicant has been in custody since 11.04.2026, and the trial is likely to take some time to conclude, without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, I am inclined to grant regular bail to the applicant. Accordingly, the bail application is allowed. 3 7. It is directed that in the event of the applicant executing a personal bond for a sum of Rs. 50,000/- with one local surety in the like sum to the satisfaction of the concerned trial Court, he shall be released on bail on following conditions: (i) he 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 from disclosing such facts to the Court, (ii) he shall not act in any manner which will be prejudicial to fair and expeditious trial, (iii) he shall appear before the trial Court on each and every date given to him by the said Court till disposal of the trial, and (iv) he shall not commit any offence of similar nature while being on bail. The observation made hereinabove is for the purpose of deciding this bail application only; the trial Court shall decide the case on its own merits without being influenced by any observation made in this order. Sd/- Rakesh Mohan Pandey JUDGE Nadim