Guddi Kaur v. State of Punjab

1o o o o 236o INoTHEoHIGHoCOURToOFoPUNJABoANDoHARYANAoAToINoTHEoHIGHoCOURToOFoPUNJABoANDoHARYANA ATo CHANDIGARHo o o GuddioKauroo ….Petitionero versuso StateoofoPunjabo ….Respondento o Dateoofodecision:oNovembero18,o2025o DateoofoUploading:oNovembero18,o2025o o CORAM:o HON'BLEoMR.oJUSTICEoSUMEEToGOELo o Present:-o Mr.oHiteshoVerma,oAdvocateoforotheopetitioner.oo o o o Mr.oBaljinderoSinghoSra,oAdditionaloAGoPunjab.oo o *****o***** SUMEEToGOEL,oJ.o(ORAL)oo o o o Presento petitiono haso beeno filedo undero Sectiono 483o ofo theo BharatiyaoNagarikoSurakshaoSanhita,o2023o(foroshorto'BNSS')oforograntoofo regularobailotootheopetitioneroinocaseobearingoFIRoNo.261odatedo18.06.2025,o registeredo foro theo offenceso punishableo undero Sectionso 21o &o 29o ofo theo NarcoticoDrugsoandoPsychotropicoSubstancesoAct,o1985o(foroshorto'NDPSo Act')o(Sectiono29oofotheoNDPSoActoaddedolateroon),oatoPoliceoStationoCityo Barnala,oDistrictoBarnala.oo

2.o o Theogravamenoofotheoallegationsoagainstotheopetitioneroisothatoheo isoanoaccusedoofobeingoinvolvedoinoanoFIRopertainingotooNDPSoActoinvolvingo 14o bottleso ofo intoxicanto syrup,o labeledo WINGSo PHARMA,o eacho bottleo containingo 100o MLoando intoxicantopowdero (Heroin),o weighingo 90ograms,o

o o 2o o o allegedlyo recoveredo fromo theo co-accusedo ofo theo petitioner,o namely,o ChamkauroSingh,oandosaidoco-accusedonominatedotheopresentopetitioneroinohiso disclosure.oo

3.o o Learnedocounseloforotheopetitionerohasoiteratedothatotheopetitionero isoinocustodyosinceo07.07.2025.oLearnedocounselohasofurtheroarguedothatotheo petitionero haso beeno falselyo implicatedo intoo theo FIRo ino question.o Learnedo counselohasoarguedothatomandatoryoprovisionsoofotheoNDPSoActohaveonoto scrupulouslyo beeno compliedo with,o ando thus,o theo prosecutiono caseo sufferso fromoinherentodefects.oLearnedocounselohasofurtheroiteratedothatoassumingo arguando,otheoprosecutionoversionoisotakenotoobeocorrect,oprimeoprosecutiono evidenceo availableo againsto theo petitionero iso ino theo shapeo ofo disclosureo statemento ofo co-accused,o namely,o Chamkauro Singh.o Learnedo counselo haso furtheroiteratedothatotheopetitionerohasosufferedoincarcerationoforomoreothano04o months.oThus,oregularobailoisoprayedofor.oo

4.o o Learnedo Stateo counselo haso opposedo theo presento petitiono byo arguingothatotheoallegationsoraisedoagainstotheopetitioneroareoseriousoinonatureo and,othus,otheopetitionerodoesonotodeserveotheoconcessionoofotheoregularobail.o Learnedo Stateo counselo seekso too placeo ono recordo custodyo certificateo datedo

17.11.2025,oinotheoCourtotoday,owhichoisotakenoonorecord.oo

5.o o Iohaveoheardocounseloforotheorivalopartiesoandohaveogoneothrougho theoavailableorecordsoofotheocase.oo

6.o o Theopetitionerowasoarrestedoono07.07.2025oandoisoinocontinuouso custodyosinceothen.oTheoculminationoofoinvestigationoasoalsootrialoemanatingo therefrom,oinocaseooccasionosooarises,owillotakeoitsoownotime.oTheopetitionero hasobeenoimplicatedoasoanoaccusedoinotheoFIRoinoquestionosolelyoonotheobasiso

o o 3o o o ofodisclosureostatementoofoco-accused,onamely,oChamkauroSinghofromowhomo theoallegedocontrabandowasorecovered.oAsoperotheoprosecutionoversion,othereo isonoootheromaterialoavailableotooconnectotheopetitionerowithotheocontrabando excepto foro theosaidodisclosureostatement.o Ito isopertinentotoo noteothato sucho disclosureostatements,oinotheoabsenceoofocorroborativeoevidenceoholdolimitedo evidentiaryovalueoandocannotobeosoleobasisoforoimplicatingotheopetitioner.oTheo relianceoonothisounsubstantiatedostatementoraisesoseriousodoubtsoaboutotheo fairnesso ando objectivityo ofo theo investigation.o Ito iso noto ino disputeo thato theo petitionerowasonotopresentoatotheospot.oTheoveracityoandoweightageorequiredotoo beoattachedotootheodisclosureostatementomadeobyotheoco-accusedowillobeofullyo testedoatotheotimeoofotrial.oTheorivalocontentionsoraisedoatoBarogiveoriseotoo debatableoissues,owhichoshallobeoratiocinatedouponoduringotheocourseoofotrial.o Thiso Courto doeso noto deemo ito appropriateo too delveo deepo intoo theseo rivalo contentions,oatothisostage,olestoitomayoprejudiceotheotrial.oNothingotangibleohaso beenobroughtoforwardotooindicateotheolikelihoodoofotheopetitioneroabscondingo fromotheoprocessoofojusticeoorointerferingowithotheoprosecutionoevidence.oo

6.1.o o Atothisojuncture,oitowouldobeoappositeotooreferotooaojudgmento passedobyothisoCourtoinoAnshuloSardanaoversusoStateoofoPunjab,opassedoino CRM-M-65094-2024o (2025:o PHHC:004198),o wherein,o aftero relyingo upono theoratioodecidendioofotheojudgmentsoofotheoHon'bleoSupremeoCourtoinoTofano SinghoversusoStateoofoTamiloNadu,oAIRo2020oSupremeoCourto5592;oSmt.o Najmunisha,o Abdulo Hamido Chandmiyao @o Ladooo Bapuo versuso Stateo ofo Gujrat,o Narcoticso Controlo Bureau,o 2024o INSCo 290;o Stateo byo (NCB)o Bengaluruo vs.o Pallulabido Ahmado Arimuttao &o Anr.',o 2022o (1)o RCRo (Criminal)o762;oandoVijayoSinghovs.oTheoStateoofoHaryana,obearingoSpecialo

o o 4o o o LeaveotooAppealo(Crl.)oNo.(s)o1266/2023,odecidedoono17.05.2023,ohasoheldo thus:oo "6.3oo o Itoisoaowelloestablishedoprincipleoofolawothatoaoconfessiono madeobyoaoco-accusedounderoSectiono67oofotheoNDPSoActoisoinherentlyoao veryoweakopieceoofoevidence.ooSuchostatement(s),obyothemselves,ocannoto formo theo soleo basiso foro theo convictiono ofo ano individualo ando musto beo scrutinizedo witho utmosto cautiono ino conjunctiono witho othero substantiveo evidence.oMoreover,onoorecoveryohasobeenoeffectedofromotheopossessionoofo theopetitioner,owhoohasobeenosubsequentlyoimplicatedoasoanoaccusedosolelyo ono theo basiso ofo disclosureo statemento ofo theo co-accused.o However,o aso regularobailopertainsotoolifeoandolibertyoofoindividual,oCourtsoareoobligatedo toostrikeoaobalanceobetweenosafeguardingopersonalolibertyoandoensuringotheo effectiveo administrationo ofo justiceo aso alsoo investigation.o Theo finalo evidentiaryovalueoandoadmissibilityoofotheodisclosureostatementomadeobyoao co-accusedo fallo withino theo domaino ofo theo trialo Courto ando areo too beo adjudicatedoduringotheocourseoofotheotrialoinoaccordanceowithoestablishedo principlesoofolaw.oHowever,owhileoadjudicatingoaopleaofororegularobail,othiso Courto cannoto remaino obliviouso too theo circumstanceso undero whicho theo petitionerohasobeenoarraignedooroimplicated,oincludingotheonatureoofotheo allegations,otheoevidenceolinkingotheopetitionerotootheooffenceoasowelloasotheo specificoroleoattributedotootheopetitioneroinotheocommissionoofotheoallegedo offence.oAoprimaofacieoexaminationoofotheseofactorsoisoessentialotooensureo thatotheoprocessoofolawoisonotomisused,oabusedooromisdirected."oo o

6.2.o o Further,othisoCourtoinotheocaseoofoJaswinderoSinghoaliasoKalao versuso Stateo ofo Punjabo passedo ino CRM-M-33729-2025o (2025:PHHC:089161)ohasoheldothus:oo "14.o o Aso ao sequituro too above-saido rumination,o theo followingo postulatesoemerge:o

(I)o (i)o Aobailopleaoonomerits;oinorespectoofoanoFIRounderoNDPSoActo ofo1985oinvolvingooffence(s)ounderoSectiono19ooroSectiono24ooro Sectiono 27-Ao thereofo ando foro offence(s)o involvingo commercialo quantity;o iso essentiallyo requiredo too meeto witho theo rigour(s)o ofo Sectiono37oofoNDPSoAct.ooo o o (ii)oo Theorigour(s)oofoSectiono37oofoNDPSoActodoonotoapplyotooao bailoplea(s)oonomedicaloground(s),ointerimobailoonoaccountoofoanyo exigencyoincludingotheoreasonoofodemiseoofoaocloseofamilyorelativeo etc.o o o o (iii)o Theorigour(s)oofoSectiono37oofoNDPSoActopaleointooobliviono whenobailoisosoughtoforoonoaccountoofolongoincarcerationoinoviewoofo Articleo21oofotheoConstitutionoofoIndiaoi.e.owhereotheobail-applicanto hasosufferedolongounder-trialocustody,otheotrialoisoprocrastinatingo andofollyothereofoisonotoattributableotoosuchobail-applicant.ooo o II.o TheotwinoconditionsocontainedoinoSectiono37(1)(b)oofoNDPSoActo areo ino additiono too theo conditions/parameterso containedo ino Cr.P.C./BNSSooroanyootheroapplicableoextantolaw.oo o

o o 5o o o III.o TheotwinoconditionsocontainedoinoSectiono37(1)(b)oofoNDPSoActo areocumulativeoinonatureoandonotoalternativeoi.e.obothotheoconditionso areorequiredotoobeosatisfiedoforoaobail-pleaotoobeosuccessful.ooo o IV.o Foro considerationo byo bailo Courto ofo theo conditiono stipulatedo ino Sectiono37(1)(b)(i)oofoNDPSoActoi.e.o"thereoareoreasonableogroundso forobelievingothatoheoisonotoguiltyoofosuchooffence":o o

(i)o Theo bailo Courto oughto too sifto througho allo relevanto material,oincludingocase-dairy,oexclusivelyoforotheolimitedo purposeoofoadjudicatingosuchobailoplea.o o

(ii)o Sucho consideration,o concerningo theo assessmento ofo guiltooroinnocence,oshouldonotomirrorotheosameodegreeoofo scrutinyorequiredoforoanoacquittaloofotheoaccusedoatotheofinalo adjudicationo&oculminationoofotrial.oo o

(iii)o Plea(s)o ofo defenceo byo applicant-accused,o ifo any,o includingo material/documentso ino supporto thereof,o mayo beo lookedointoobyotheobail-Courtowhileoadjudicatingosuchobailo plea.ooo o V.o ForoconsiderationoofotheoconditionostipulatedoinoSectiono37(1)(b)(ii)o i.e.o'heoisonotolikelyotoocommitoanyooffenceowhileoonobail':o

(i)o Theo wordo 'likely'o oughto too beo interpretedo aso requiringoaodemonstrableoandosubstantialoprobabilityoofore-offendingo byo theo bail-applicant,o rathero thano ao mereo theoreticaloone,oasonooCourtocanopredictofutureoconductoofo theobail-applicant.oo o

(ii)o Theoentireofactualomatrixoofoaogivenocaseoincludingo theoantecedentsoofotheobail-applicant,oroleoascribedotoohim,o andotheonatureoofooffenceoareorequiredotoobeodelvedointo.oo However,o theo involvemento ofo bail-applicanto ino anothero NDPS/othero offenceo cannoto ipsoo factoo resulto ino theo conclusionoofohisopropensityoforocommittingooffenceoinotheo future.o o

(iii)o Theo bail-Courto may,o ato theo timeo ofo grantingo bail,o imposeo upono theo applicant-accusedo ao conditiono thato heo wouldosubmit,oatosuchoregularotimeoperiod/intervaloasomayo stipulatedo byo theo Courto grantingo bail,o ano affidavito beforeo concernedo Specialo Judgeo ofo NDPSo Court/Illaqao (Jurisdictional)o Judicialo Magistrate/concernedo Policeo Station,o too theo effecto thato heo haso noto beeno involvedo ino commissionoofoanyooffenceoafterobeingoreleasedoonobail.ooIno theofactsoofoaogivenocase,oimpositionoofosuchoconditionomayo beoconsideredotoobeosufficientoforosatisfactionoofoconditiono enumeratedoinoSectiono37(1)(b)(ii).ooo o VI.oo Thereoisonoogainsayingothatotheonature,omodeoandoextentoofoexerciseo ofo powero byo ao Court;o whileo satisfyingo itselfo regardingo theo conditionso stipulatedo ino Sectiono 37o ofo NDPSo Act;o shallo dependo uponotheojudicialodiscretionoexercisedobyosuchoCourtoinotheofactso andocircumstancesoofoaogivenocase.oNooexhaustiveoguidelinesocano possiblyobeolaidodownoasotoowhatowouldoconstituteoparametersoforo satisfactionooforequirementounderoSectiono37o(ibid)oasoeveryocaseo

o o 6o o o hasoitsoownouniqueofacts/circumstances.ooMakingosuchoanoattemptoiso nothingobutoaoutopianoendeavour.ooErgo,othisoissueoisobestoleftotootheo judicialo wisdomo ando discretiono ofo theo Courto dealingo witho sucho matter."o o

6.3.o o Inothisoviewoofotheomatter,otheorigoroimposedounderoSectiono37o ofotheoNDPSoActostandsodiluted.oo

6.4.o o Theopetitioneroisoaoladyoagedoabouto54oyearso(asoperomemooofo parties),ohence,obailopetitionooughtotoobeoconsideredoinoviewoofoprovisootoo Sectiono480(2)oBNSS.oItoisopertinentotoomentionohereinothatotheoprovisootoo Sectiono 480o BNSS,o 2023,o iso pario materiao witho provisoo too Sectiono 437o Cr.P.C.,o 1973.o Ino thiso regard,o ito wouldo beo appositeo too refero hereino too ao judgmentopassedobyothisoCourtoono14.03.2024oinoCRM-M-11503-2024otitledo aso'RavinderoKauroVs.oStateoofoPunjab'o(dealingowithoprovisootooSectiono437o Cr.P.C.),orelevantothereoforeadsoasounder:o "Itowouldobeoappositeotooreferohereinotootheodictaoofoaojudgmentoofotheo Hon'bleoSupremeoCourtoinoaocaseoofo'SatenderoKumaroAntiloVs.oCentralo BureauoofoInvestigationo&oAnr.,o2022(10)oSCCo51'o,owhichoheldoasounder:o

51.oo Provisoo too Sectiono 437o ofo theo Codeo mandateso thato wheno theo accusedoisounderotheoageoofosixteenoyears,osickooroinfirmoorobeingoaowoman,o isosomethingowhichoisorequiredotoobeotakenonoteoof.oObviously,otheocourto hasotoosatisfyoitselfothatotheoaccusedopersonoisosickooroinfirm.oInoaocaseo pertainingotoowomen,otheocourtoisoexpectedotooshowosomeosensitivity.oWeo haveo alreadyo takeno noteo ofo theo facto thato manyo womeno whoo commito cognizableo offenseso areo pooro ando illiterate.o Ino manyo cases,o upono beingo youngotheyohaveochildrenotootakeocareoof,oandothereoareomanyoinstanceso whenotheochildrenoareotooliveoinoprisons.oTheostatisticsowouldoshowothato moreothano1000ochildrenoareolivingoinoprisonsoalongowithotheiromothers.o Thisoisoanoaspectothatotheocourtsoareoexpectedotootakeonoteoofoasoitowouldonoto onlyoinvolveotheointerestoofotheoaccused,obutoalsootheochildrenowhooareonoto expectedotoogetoexposedotootheoprisons.oThereoisoaograveodangeroofotheiro beingoinheritedonotoonlyowithopovertyobutowithocrimeoasowell.o xxxxoo o o xxxxoo o o xxxo

58.oo Sectiono437oofotheoCodeoempowersotheoMagistrateotoodealowithoallo theooffensesowhileoconsideringoanoapplicationoforobailowithotheoexceptionoofo ano offenseo punishableo eithero witho lifeo imprisonmento oro deatho triableo exclusivelyobyotheoCourtoofoSessions.oTheofirstoprovisoofacilitatesoaocourtotoo conditionallyoreleaseoonobailoanoaccusedoifoheoisounderotheoageoofo16oyearso oro iso ao womano oro iso sicko oro infirm,o aso discussedo earlier.o Thiso beingo ao welfareo legislation,o thougho introducedo byo wayo ofo ao proviso,o haso too beo appliedowhileoconsideringoreleaseoonobailoeitherobyotheoCourtoofoSessionsooro theoHighoCourt,oasotheocaseomayobe.oTheopowerounderoSectiono439oofotheo Codeoisoexercisedoagainstoanoorderorejectingoanoapplicationoforobailoando

o o 7o o o againstoanooffenceoexclusivelyodecidedobyotheoCourtoofoSessions.oThereo cannotobeoaodividedoapplicationoofoprovisootooSectiono437,owhileoexercisingo theopowerounderoSectiono439.oWhileodealingowithoaowelfareolegislation,oao purposiveointerpretationogivingotheobenefitotootheoneedyopersonobeingotheo intendmentoisotheoroleorequiredotoobeoplayedobyotheocourt.oWeodoonotowisho toostateothatothisoprovisoohasotoobeoconsideredofavourablyoinoallocasesoasotheo applicationodependsouponotheofactsoandocircumstancesocontainedotherein.o Whatoisorequiredoisotheoconsiderationoperoseobyotheocourtoofothisoprovisoo amongootherofactors."o o

7.o o Asoperocustodyocertificateodatedo17.11.2025ofiledobyotheolearnedo Stateocounsel,otheopetitionerohasoalreadyosufferedoincarcerationoforoaoperiodo ofo04omonthsoando09odays.oFurther,oasoperotheosaidocustodyocertificate,otheo petitioneroiso statedo toobeoinvolvedoinoothero FIR(s).o However,o thiso factumo cannotobeoaogroundosufficientobyoitself,otoodeclineotheoconcessionooforegularo bailotootheopetitioneroinotheoFIRoinoquestionowhenoaocaseoisomadeooutoforogranto ofo regularo bailo quao theo FIRo ino questiono byo ratiocinatingo upono theo facts/circumstancesoofotheosaidoFIR.oRelianceoinothisoregardocanobeoplacedo uponotheojudgmentoofotheoHon'bleoSupremeoCourtoinoMaulanaoMohd.oAmiro Rashadio v.o Stateo ofo U.P.o ando another,o 2012o (1)o RCRo (Criminal)o 586;o ao DivisionoBenchojudgmentoofotheoHon'bleoCalcuttaoHighoCourtoinocaseoofo SridharoDasov.oState,o1998o(2)oRCRo(Criminal)o477o&ojudgmentsoofothisoSridharoDasov.oState,o1998o(2)oRCRo(Criminal)o477 Courto ino CRM-Mo No.38822-2022o titledo aso Akhilesho Singho v.o Stateo ofo Haryana,odecidedoono29.11.2021,oandoBalrajov.oStateoofoHaryana,o1998o(3)o RCRo(Criminal)o191.oo o o Sufficeo too say,o furthero detentiono ofo theo petitionero aso ano undertrialoisonotowarrantedoinotheofactsoandocircumstancesoofotheocase.oo

8.o o Inoviewoofoabove,otheopresentopetitionoisoallowed.oPetitioneroiso orderedotoobeoreleasedoonoregularobailoonoherofurnishingobail/suretyobondsotoo theosatisfactionoofotheoLd.oconcernedotrialoCourt/DutyoMagistrate.oHowever,o

o o 8o o o ino additiono too conditionso thato mayo beo imposedo byo theo concernedo trialo Court/DutyoMagistrate,otheopetitioneroshalloremainoboundobyotheofollowingo conditions:oo

(i)o Theopetitioneroshallonotomis-useotheolibertyogranted.oo

(ii)oo Theopetitioneroshallonototamperowithoanyoevidence,ooralooro documentary,oduringotheotrial.oo

(iii)oo Theopetitioneroshallonotoabsentoherselfoonoanyodateobeforeo theotrial.oo

(iv)oo Theo petitionero shallo noto commito anyo offenceo whileo ono bail.oo

(v)oo Theopetitioneroshallodepositoheropassport,oifoany,owithotheo trialoCourt.oo

(vi)o Theo petitionero shallo giveo hero cellphoneo numbero too theo Investigatingo Officer/SHOo ofo concernedo Policeo Stationo andoshallonotochangeoherocell-phoneonumberowithoutoprioro permissionoofotheotrialoCourt/IllaqaoMagistrate.oo

(vii)o Theopetitioneroshallonotoinoanyomannerotryotoodelayotheo trial.oo

(viii)o Theopetitioneroshallosubmit,oonotheofirstoworkingodayoofo everyo month,o ano affidavit,o beforeo theo concernedo trialo Court,o too theo effecto thato sheo haso noto beeno involvedo ino commissionoofoanyooffenceoafterobeingoreleasedoonobail.o Ino caseo theo petitionero iso foundo too beo involvedo ino anyo offenceoafteroherobeingoenlargedoonobailoinotheopresento FIR,oonotheobasisoofoheroaffidavitoorootherwise,otheoStateoiso mandatedotoomove,oforthwith,oforocancellationoofoherobailo whicho plea,o buto ofo course,o shallo beo ratiocinatedo upono meritsothereof.oo o

9.o o Inocaseoofobreachoofoanyoofotheoaforesaidoconditionsoandothoseo whichomayobeoimposedobyoconcernedotrialoCourt/DutyoMagistrateoasodirectedo hereinaboveo oro upono showingo anyo othero sufficiento cause,o theo State/complainanto shallo beo ato libertyo too moveo cancellationo ofo bailo ofo theo petitioner.oo

10.oo o Orderedoaccordingly.oo

11.o o Nothingosaidohereinaboveoshallobeoconstruedoasoanoexpressionoofo opinionoonotheomeritsoofotheocase.oo

o o 9o o o

12.oo o Sinceotheomainocaseohasobeenodecided,opendingomiscellaneouso application,oifoany,oshalloalsoostandsodisposedooff.oo o o o o o o o o o o o o o o ooo o oooooooo(SUMEEToGOEL)o o o o o o o o o ooooooJUDGEo Novembero18,o2025oo mahavirooo o o Whetherospeaking/reasoned:o o Yes/Noo o Whetheroreportable:o o o Yes/Noo

o o