APHC010337972026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI (Special Original Jurisdiction) [3521] MONDAY, THE 20th DAY OF JULY 2026 PRESENT THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 5397/2026 Between: GURUNADH CHOWHAN, S/O. CHOWHAN GANAPATHI, AGED ABOUT 28 YEARS,R/O. RATHNA NAIK THANDA, MANOOR MANDAL,ENEKPALLE, WASAR, MEDAK DISTRICT, TELANGANA STATE. ...PETITIONER/ACCUSED AND THE STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, Rep by its Public Prosecutor,High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati. ...RESPONDENT/COMPLAINANT Counsel for the Petitioner/accused: BOOSARA V N PRAVEEN KUMAR Counsel for the Respondent/complainant: PUBLIC PROSECUTOR 2 Dr.YLR,J Crl.P.No.5397 of 2026 Dated 20.07.2026 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.1 on bail in Crime No.53 of 2019 of Chinturu Police Station, East Godavari District, registered against the Petitioner/Accused No.1 herein for the offences punishable under Sections 8(c) read with 20(b)(ii)(C) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (for brevity ‘the NDPS Act’). 2. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned Assistant Public Prosecutor. Perused the record. 3. As seen from the record, the learned Trial Court, during the course of trial, issued a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) against the petitioner/Accused No.1 on 22.03.2022. The said NBW was executed by the police on 01.08.2025. The petitioner has been in judicial custody for the past 354 days. It is evident that the petitioner was apprehended nearly three years after the issuance of the NBW. 4. The charge sheet was filed in the year 2020 and the case is numbered as N.S.C. No.07 of 2020. The allegation against the petitioner is that he was involved in dealing with 400 kgs of ganja, which is a commercial quantity. The offence pertains to the year 2019, and the case is one of the oldest cases pending on the file of the learned Trial Court. 3 Dr.YLR,J Crl.P.No.5397 of 2026 Dated 20.07.2026 5. At this crucial stage of the trial, if the petitioner is enlarged on bail, there is every likelihood that he may once again evade the process of law and fail to appear before the learned Trial Court, thereby hampering the expeditious disposal of the case. Having regard to the conduct of the petitioner in absconding for nearly three years after the issuance of the NBW, this Court is not inclined to release him on bail. If the petitioner remains in judicial custody for some more time, the learned Trial Court would be in a position to complete the trial and pronounce the judgment. Therefore, this Court finds no merit in the Criminal Petition. Accordingly, the Criminal Petition is liable to be dismissed. 6. In the result, the Criminal Petition is dismissed. However, considering that N.S.C.No.07 of 2020 is one of the oldest cases pending on the file of the learned Trial Court, the learned Trial Court is directed to dispose of the said case as expeditiously as possible, preferably within a period of three (03) months from the date of receipt of the copy of this order. Upon disposal of the case, the learned Trial Court shall submit a compliance report to the Registrar (Judicial). As a sequel, Miscellaneous petitions, if any pending, shall stand closed. _________________________ DR. Y. LAKSHMANA RAO, J Date: 20.07.2026 RSI Whether the order is: Speaking Yes/No / Reasoned Yes/No Reportable Yes/No / Non-Reportable Yes/No 4 Dr.YLR,J Crl.P.No.5397 of 2026 Dated 20.07.2026 127 THE HONOURABLE DR JUSTICE Y. LAKSHMANA RAO CRIMINAL PETITION NO: 5397 of 2026 Date: 20.07.2026 RSI