Punjab and Haryana High Court: A petition was filed under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (‘BNSS’) for grant of anticipatory bail to the petitioner-accused, who was alleged to be the mastermind behind the drugs supply chain from Pakistan, in FIR under Sections 21 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (‘NDPS Act’). A Single Judge Bench of Rupinderjit Chahal, J., expressed concern that there was a steady increase in cross border smuggling of illicit drugs through drones and the same from Pakistan posed a grave threat not only to the security of the nation but also impacted its youth. Accordingly, the Court dismissed the petition by denying the anticipatory bail to the accused in the interest of magnitude and nature of the offence.
Background
In the present case, the co-accused who was in custody in another case under Official Secrets Act 1923, Aircraft Act, 1934 and NDPS Act was being interrogated, and he disclosed to the police that the consignment was supplied from Pakistan through drone and the accused used to give them money for the same. This led to registration of FIR against the accused and apprehending his arrest, he moved an application for grant of pre-arrest bail which was dismissed by the Special Court.
The respondent contended that the accused was declared a proclaimed offender in May 2025 and because he was found to be member of drug nexus who smuggled heroin from Pakistan by using drones in the present case, custodial interrogation was warranted.
Analysis and Decision
The Court expressed concern that there was steady increase in cross border smuggling of illicit drugs through drones lately and increasing instances of drug smuggling through drones in India from Pakistan posed a grave threat not only to the security of the nation but also impacted the youth of the nation.
The Court emphasized that while considering a plea for grant of anticipatory bail, it had to equilibrate between safeguarding individual rights and protecting societal interest. Further, it ought to reckon with the magnitude and nature of the offence, the role attributed to the accused, the need for fair and free investigation as also the deeper and wide impact of such alleged inequities on society.
Therefore, considering that the accused was alleged to be the mastermind of drugs supply chain from Pakistan, the Court held that custodial interrogation was required for fair and effective investigation in the matter. The Court, thus, dismissed the petition and held that custodial interrogation of the accused was necessary for effective investigation and if it was denied then it would leave many loose ends, which was not desired.
[Robert Masih v. State of Punjab, CRM-M No. 20005 of 2025, decided on 22-9-2025]
Advocates who appeared in this case :
For the Petitioner: Ritesh Pandey, Advocate
For the Respondent: Ravinder Singh, DAG, Punjab