Supreme Court Raises Eyebrows Over 'Unheard of' Anticipatory Bail in NDPS Case

The Supreme Court has deemed the granting of anticipatory bail in a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act as 'very serious' and 'unheard of.' The bench directed the West Bengal government to consider filing for the cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to four accused in the case.

The Supreme Court has termed the granting of anticipatory bail in a case registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act as a 'very serious' and 'unheard of' issue, during a session on Thursday.

A bench led by Justice B. R. Gavai, with Justices Aravind Kumar and K. V. Viswanathan, was in session to hear a plea from an accused seeking regular bail in an alleged NDPS-related offense in West Bengal. The court has directed the West Bengal government to consider filing an application seeking the cancellation of pre-arrest bail granted to four accused.

The state's stance and notice on the accused's bail plea have been scheduled for review after four weeks. Notably, the petitioner's counsel highlighted that four out of six accused were awarded anticipatory bail, with one already on regular bail, which the bench found objectionable in the context of NDPS cases.

This directive comes after the Calcutta High Court dismissed the principal accused's regular bail plea due to the commercial quantity of contraband involved and the legal restrictions outlined in section 37 of the NDPS Act.

(With inputs from agencies.)