Harcharan Singh v. State of HP

IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA Cr. MP (M) No.    :     2971  of 2025 Reserved on : 29

th   December, 2025 Decided on  :  31

st   December, 2025 Harcharan Singh

…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. Khem Raj, Advocate. For the respondent   : Mr.   Mohinder   Zharaick,   Additional Advocate   General   with   Ms.   Avni Kochhar   Mehta,   Deputy   Advocate General,   assisted   by   ASI   Ajay Kumar,   Police   Station,   Sadar Chamba, District Chamba H.P. Virender Singh, Judge Applicant­Harcharan   Singh,   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 and 1 Whether Reporters of local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? Yes. 29 of the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act (hereinafter referred to as the 'NDPS Act').

¶2According   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 he crime in question.

¶3It 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.

¶4As   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.

¶5According   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.110 dated 27.08.2022, under Sections 15 and 29 of the NDPS   Act,   with   Police   Station   Sujanpur,   District Pathankot, Punjab, have also been registered against him. Trial of these two cases is stated to be pending.

¶6The   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 27.11.2025.

¶7Apart   from   this,   Mr.   Khem   Raj,   Advocate, 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.

¶8On the basis of the above facts, a prayer has been made to allow the application.

¶9When   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 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 away   from   the   spot,   upon   whch,   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 and the pillion   rider   disclosed   his   name   as   Harcharan   Singh (applicant).

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.

¶10After   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.

¶11It 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.

¶12It   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.09,   dated   01.04.2013,   registered   under Sections   379   and   427   IPC   Police   Station   Jander, District Amritsar, Punjab.

ii) FIR   No.22,   dated   24.04.2013,   registered   under Sections   379   and   411   IPC   Police   Station   Jander, District Amritsar, Punjab.

iii) FIR No.110,  dated 27.08.2022,  under Sections 15 and   29   of   the   NDPS   Act,   with   Police   Station Sujanpur, District Pathankot, Punjab.

¶13On the basis of the above facts, a prayer has been made to dismiss the application.

¶14So 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 applicant has not been convicted by the competent Court of law.

¶15Mere 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.

¶16Moreover,   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.

¶17The   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.

¶18The   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.

¶19Moreover, 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.

¶20Considering 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 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.

¶21This 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 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."

¶22Any 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.

¶23It 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.

¶24The 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.

¶25In 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 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 ) December 31, 2025 ( ps ) Judge PRADEEP Date: 2025.12.31 13:21:11 +0530