Pankaj Kumar @ Pankaj Mandal v. The State Of Bihar
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.21783 of 2025 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-58 Year-2020 Thana- INDUSTRIAL District- Bhagalpur ====================================================== Pankaj Kumar @ Pankaj Mandal Son of Lakhshman Mandal Resident of Nawabganj Basa Tola, Police Station - Kursela, District - Katihar ... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar ... ... Opposite Party/s ====================================================== Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s :
Mr. Subhash Kumar, Adv.
:
Mr. Pintu Kumar Patel, Adv.
For the Opposite Party/s :
Mr. Akshay Lal Pandit, App.
====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ANIL KUMAR SINHA ORAL ORDER 11-04-2025
1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the State.
2. This application, for grant of regular bail, arises out of NDPS Case No. 19 of 2020 arising out of Industrial Area Police Station Case No. 58 of 2020, disclosing offences under Section 20/22 of the NDPS Act.
3. Petitioner renews his prayer for regular bail which was dismissed on the previous four occasions in connection with Industrial Area P.S. Case No. 58 of 2020 registered for the offences punishable under Sections 20/22 of the NDPS Act.
4. As per the prosecution case lodged on 27.06.2020, on secret information, the informant intercepted two cars, one Ambassador and the other one Swift Dezire car, and recovered
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.21783 of 2025(2) dt.11-04-2025 2/3 35 kgs of ganja from the Ambassador car and 15 kgs of ganja from Swift Dezire car.
5. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that while rejecting the bail application of the petitioner on the last occasion on 06.09.2024, the petitioner was given liberty to renew his prayer for bail after four months. The status report of the trial was called for by this Court and it was informed by the Additional Sessions Judge-VIII, Bhagalpur, that out of nine witnesses, seven witnesses had been examined and two witnesses were yet to be examined within four months and the trial was likely to be completed within four months. Referring to paragraph 11 of the bail application, learned counsel submits that till filing of the bail application, the remaining two witnesses were not examined by the prosecution. The petitioner is in custody since 28.06.2020 i.e., for about five years.
6. Regards being had to the submissions made by the parties and taking into consideration the fact that the petitioner is having no criminal antecedent of similar nature of offence and the period of custody for which the petitioner remained in jail, I am inclined to grant regular bail to the petitioner.
7. This application is, accordingly, allowed.
8. Let the petitioner, above named, be released on bail
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.21783 of 2025(2) dt.11-04-2025 3/3 on furnishing bail bond of Rs. 25,000/- (Twenty Five Thousand) with two sureties of the like amount, each to the satisfaction of learned Additional District and Sessions Judge-VIII, Bhagalpur, in connection to the NDPS Case No. 19 of 2020 arising out of Industrial Area Police Station Case No. 58 of 2020 subject to the condition:- (i) That the petitioner shall present himself before the police/Court, as the case may be, as and when required and in the event of failure on his part to appear before the Court on two consecutive occasions, his bail bond shall be liable to be cancelled.
(ii). That the petitioner shall furnish his active mobile number before the concerned trial court at the time of furnishing the bail bonds.
(Anil Kumar Sinha, J) HarshPandey/- U T