{"id":382109,"date":"2026-04-23T16:00:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-23T10:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?p=382109"},"modified":"2026-04-23T16:03:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-23T10:33:11","slug":"24-hours-rule-runs-from-actual-restraint-not-arrest-memo-ph-hc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/04\/23\/24-hours-rule-runs-from-actual-restraint-not-arrest-memo-ph-hc\/","title":{"rendered":"24-hour Rule Runs from Actual Restraint, Not Arrest Memo; detention Beyond 24 Hours Illegal in NDPS Case: P&H High Court"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Disclaimer:<\/span> This has been reported after the availability of the order of the Court and not on media reports so as to give an accurate report to our readers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Punjab & Haryana High Court:<\/span> In a petition challenging the legality of arrest and continued detention in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985<\/a>, (NDPS), a Single Judge Bench of Sumeet Goel, J., held that the constitutional and statutory mandate of producing an arrested person before the Magistrate within 24 hours begins from the moment of actual restraint on personal liberty and not from the time of formal arrest shown in records. Consequently, the Court declared the detention beyond 24 hours illegal and directed the petitioner’s release.<\/p>\n

Background<\/h3>\n

The case arose from a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) investigation into illegal diversion of psychotropic medicines, wherein the petitioner, a partner in certain pharmaceutical firms, was alleged to be involved in inter-State diversion through entities not existing physically. On 31 October 2025, a search was conducted at the petitioner’s premises and a notice under Section 67<\/a> NDPS Act<\/a>, was served. The petitioner accompanied the NCB officials from Uttarakhand to Chandigarh at around 11.00 p.m. on 31 October 2025 and remained with them until his formal arrest was recorded at 9.00 p.m. on 1 November 2025, after which on 2 November 2025 his medical examination was done and then was produced before the Magistrate.<\/p>\n

NCB subsequently, filed remand applications pleading police\/judicial remand of the petitioner and since then the petitioner was in judicial custody. Thus, the petitioner contended that he had been in continuous custody since the night of 31 October 2025 and was detained beyond 24 hours without judicial authorisation, rendering his arrest illegal.<\/p>\n

Also Read:<\/span> Pre-arrest bail not maintainable after arrest and release on transit bail; Accused can only seek regular bail: Kerala HC<\/a><\/p>\n

Issue<\/h3>\n

Whether the petitioner’s detention exceeded the permissible 24-hour limit, and whether such period is to be computed from the time of actual restraint\/custody or from the formal arrest recorded by the investigating agency.<\/p>\n

Also Read:<\/span> Search and Arrest Powers under NDPS Act Strictly “Ring-Fenced” to Prevent Misuse; Delhi HC grants bail Over Illegal After-Sunset Search<\/a><\/p>\n

Analysis and decision<\/h3>\n

The Court observed the power of police to investigate offences is statutory and delegated to maintain public order while the procedural law equips investigating agencies with powers such as search, seizure, and arrest, these are not absolute and are circumscribed by safeguards, designed to ensure that the sword of the State does not become an instrument of oppression<\/span>. The Court stated, investigative powers must be exercised strictissimi<\/span> juris, i.e., strictly in accordance with the procedure and conditions prescribed by law.<\/p>\n

The Court noted that in cases of arrest without warrant, a key safeguard mandates that the detained person be produced before the nearest Magistrate within 24 hours, serving as a protection against incommunicado detention. Enshrined in Section 57<\/a>, Criminal Procedure Code, 1973<\/a> (CrPC)\/Section 58<\/a>, Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023<\/a> (BNSS) and Article 22(2)<\/a> of the Constitution<\/a>, this requirement ensures immediate judicial scrutiny of executive action, both to verify the vires and the legality of arrest and secondly to assess the need for further detention. For this safeguard to be effective, it is essential to determine when the 24-hour period begins, which depends on the true meaning of “arrest” under these provisions.<\/p>\n

The Court observed the term “arrest” is neither defined in the CrPC<\/a>\/BNSS nor in the constitutional framework, however in ordinary interpretation, it signifies a state of apprehension, restraint or total deprivation of an individual’s liberty. The Court noted for determining arrest for the purposes of Section 57<\/a> CrPC<\/a>\/Section 58<\/a> BNSS<\/a>\/Article 22(2), the quintessential test is whether the individual’s freedom to move at will has been curtailed.<\/p>\n

The Court noted, “whether an individual is under ‘arrest’ is a question of fact, not of nomenclature. To hold otherwise would be to allow the Rule of Law to be defeated by a semantic sleight of hand”.<\/span> The Court also noted, “entries contained in police records or arrest memos are merely declaratory and do not constitute infallible or conclusive proof of the time of arrest.”<\/span> . Treating it as definitive would allow the investigating agency to judge its own compliance, undermining constitutional safeguards. It is the actual restraint on liberty, not the recorded time, that triggers the 24-hour clock or the clock of liberty.<\/p>\n

Drawing the distinction between coercive subsumption of volition and genuine investigative functions, the Court noted that there are instances where a person is merely summoned to join investigation, for producing documents or recording a statement. However, without any obvious restriction and the person remains free to leave, has unhindered access to a phone, and acts without restraint, it does not amount to detention. In such situations, the clock of liberty is not triggered. The Court stated, “the 24-hour mandate is not a reflexive trap for a diligent investigating officer, but a shield against overbearing captor”.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Court noted that the Magistrate\/Court before which the arrestee\/detained person is produced bears a non-delegable solemn duty to act proactively piercing the documentary veil of the timeline provided by the arresting authority.<\/p>\n

Observing the overall facts, particularly that the petitioner accompanied the NCB from Dehradun to Chandigarh, remained continuously with officials from 31 October 2025 till the arrest memo at 9.00 p.m. on 1 November 2025, and not contacting any friend, relative, or lawyer despite access to his phone, the Court noted it is evident that he was in coercive custody from 31 October 2025. The arrest memo was thus a mere paper formality. As he remained in such custody till his production before the Court on 2 November 2025 at 2.00 p.m., the detention exceeded the 24-hour limit under Section 58<\/a> BNSS<\/a>,. Thus, the Court declared the detention illegal and directed that the petitioner be released from custody, if not required in any other case, upon furnishing appropriate bonds.<\/p>\n

[Anuj Kumar Singh<\/span> v. Union of India<\/span>, CRM-M-2979-2026 (O&M), decided on 16-4-2026<\/span>]<\/p>\n\n

Advocates who appeared in this case:<\/p>\n

For the petitioner:<\/span> Preetinder Singh Ahluwalia, Senior Advocate, Rahil Mahajan, Kadambari Bhan, Lovejeet Poonia, Advocate<\/p>\n

For the respondent:<\/span> Sourabh Goel, Special Public Prosecutor, Deify Jindal, Anju Bansal, Advocate<\/p>\n

Buy Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973  HERE<\/a><\/h3>\n

\"Code<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy Constitution of India  HERE<\/a><\/h3>\n

\"Constitution<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Entries contained in police records or arrest memos are merely declaratory and do not constitute infallible or conclusive proof of the time of arrest.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67011,"featured_media":382112,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,10],"tags":[55691,3049,2664,2886,37606,6071],"class_list":["post-382109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-casebriefs","category-highcourts","tag-55691","tag-Arrest","tag-Bail","tag-Illegal_Detention","tag-narcotic-drugs-and-psychotropic-substances-act","tag-punjab-haryana-high-court"],"yoast_head":"\nP&H HC: 24-hour Rule Runs from Actual Restraint, Not Arrest Memo | SCC Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Punjab & Haryana High Court holds that 24-hour Rule Runs from Actual Restraint, Not Arrest Memo and that detention beyond 24 hours illegal\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2026\/04\/23\/24-hours-rule-runs-from-actual-restraint-not-arrest-memo-ph-hc\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"24-hour Rule Runs from Actual Restraint, Not Arrest Memo; 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arrest, detention or conviction under NDPS Act can be based on other convincing factors","author":"Editor","date":"June 20, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Gauhati High Court: A bail application under Section 438 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, (CrPC) was denied by Sanjay Kumar Medhi, J. to a petitioner for a case registered under Sections 21(c) and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) and it was held\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Gauhati-HC.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Gauhati-HC.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Gauhati-HC.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Gauhati-HC.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/Gauhati-HC.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":221679,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/11\/02\/ker-hc-court-grants-bail-to-juvenile-for-offences-under-narcotic-drugs-and-psychotropic-substances-act-1985-however-commission-of-similar-offence-during-bail-shall-result-in-cancellation-of-bail\/","url_meta":{"origin":382109,"position":1},"title":"Ker HC | Court grants bail to juvenile for offences under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 however commission of similar offence during bail shall result in cancellation of bail","author":"Bhumika Indulia","date":"November 2, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Kerala High Court: Alexander Thomas, J. disposed of an application for bail relating to offences under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. 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Shah, JJ. allowed a set of appeals filed against the common judgment of the Punjab and Haryana High Court whereby it had allowed\u00a0application for suspension of sentence preferred by accused persons and directed them to be released on bail.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Supreme-Court_Colour.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Supreme-Court_Colour.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Supreme-Court_Colour.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Supreme-Court_Colour.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Supreme-Court_Colour.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":282527,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2023\/01\/27\/vehicle-piloting-or-accompanying-another-vehicle-transporting-narcotic-drug-and-psychotropic-substances-cannot-be-held-as-vehicle-used-as-conveyance-in-carrying-the-contraband\/","url_meta":{"origin":382109,"position":3},"title":"Vehicle piloting or accompanying another vehicle transporting Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances cannot be held as vehicle used as conveyance in carrying the contraband; Kerala High Court orders release of piloting vehicle","author":"Editor","date":"January 27, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Kerala High Court heldthat only the vehicle used in carrying any narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances can be confiscated under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.","rel":"","context":"In "Case Briefs"","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kerala High Court","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/MicrosoftTeams-image-310.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":214432,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/05\/08\/ker-hc-ndps-act-bail-application-of-accused-may-be-allowed-if-he-did-not-possess-commercial-quantity-of-psychotropic-substance\/","url_meta":{"origin":382109,"position":4},"title":"Ker HC | NDPS Act: Bail application of accused may be allowed if he did not possess \u2018commercial quantity\u2019 of psychotropic substance","author":"Bhumika Indulia","date":"May 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Kerala High Court: The Bench of N. 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