27.BA.870.2026.doc HARSHADA H. SAWANT (P.A.) IN IN THE THE HIGH HIGH COURT COURT OF OF JUDICATURE JUDICATURE AT AT BOMBAY BOMBAY CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CRIMINAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION BAIL APPLICATION NO.870 OF 2026 Akarshan Ramesh Shrishrimal .. Applicant Versus The State of Maharashtra .. Respondent ....................  Mr. Himanshu S. Gavit, Advocate for Applicant.  Ms. Gauri S Rao, APP for Respondent. ................... CORAM : MILIND N. JADHAV, J. DATE : SEPTEMBER 08, 2026 P.C. : 1. Heard Mr. Gavit, learned Advocate for Applicant and Ms. Rao, learned APP for Respondent. 2. This is an Application under Section 439 of Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 seeking Bail in connection with C.R. No.412 of 2024 registered with Indira Nagar Police Station for offences punishable under Sections 8(c), 22(c) and 29, of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act 1985 (for short ‘NDPS Act’). 3. Applicant is arraigned as Accused No.3 in the present crime. The charge of prosecution qua the Applicant is that he is accused of providing contraband substances for sale and consumption and in that regard prosecution has referred to and relied upon a few instances of Applicant having supplied contraband on the basis of material unearthed from his mobile phone to the extent of he having received 1 of 4 27.BA.870.2026.doc Rs.5,000 – Rs.6,000/- and such meager amounts from two of the accused persons namely Accused Nos.2 and 4 and also subsequently added Accused No.6. 4. Save and except the aforesaid there is no other charge qua the Accused persons. Applicant is behind the bars for more than 1 year 9 months pending trial. That itself is a case for consideration. There is no progress in the trial at all. 5. That apart, Applicant has also placed before Court substantial material qua the sickness and illness of his four year child which also requires him to provide medical care and support which is in today’s time become an expensive proposition. 6. I have perused the details which are placed before the Court. Considering that two other Accused persons whose role in my opinion namely Accused Nos.4 and 5 would be on a much higher degree than Applicant and more specifically when there is no guarantee that trial would commence and conclude in the near forseeable future, considering the long incarceration of Applicant for 1 year and 9 months, I am inclined to accept case of Applicant for grant of bail. There are no antecedents and Applicant is also otherwise running a travel agency as his livelihood to provide care and support for his family. Needless to state that Applicant’s complicity will be proven by the prosecution at the time of trial where all questions are otherwise 2 of 4 27.BA.870.2026.doc kept open. 7. Considering the aforesaid, Applicant has made out case for grant of bail. Application is granted on the following terms:- (i) Applicant is directed to be immediately released from prison in connection with Crime No. 412 of 2024; (ii) Applicant is directed to be released on bail on furnishing P.R. Bond of Rs.25,000/- (Rs. Twenty Five Thousand only) with one or two surety / sureties of the like amount; (iii) Applicant shall report to the Investigating Officer at the concerned Police Station, once every month on the first Monday of the month between 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; (iv) Applicant shall co-operate with the conduct of trial and attend the Trial Court on all dates, unless specifically exempted and will not take any unnecessary adjournments, if he does so it will entitle the prosecution to apply for revocation of this order; (v) Applicant shall not leave the State of Maharashtra without prior permission of the Trial Court; (vi) Applicant shall not influence any of the witnesses or tamper with the evidence in any manner; 3 of 4 27.BA.870.2026.doc (vii) Applicant shall keep the Investigating Officer informed of his current address and mobile contact number and / or change of residence or mobile details, if any, from time to time, as applicable; and (viii)Any infraction of the conditions shall entail cancellation of bail granted to the Applicant. 8. It is clarified that the observations made in this order are limited for the purpose of granting Bail only and I have not made any observations on merits of the case. The trial shall be adjudicated on the strength of the evidence led and strictly on its own merits being uninfluenced with any of the prima facie observations made hereinabove in this order. 9. Bail Application is allowed and disposed of in the above terms. H. H. SAWANT [ MILIND N. JADHAV, J. ] 4 of 4 HARSHADA HANUMANT SAWANT Digitally signed by HARSHADA HANUMANT SAWANT Date: 2026.09.08 15:09:30 +0530