Naveenkumar v. The State By Its ,

G.K.ILANTHIRAIYAN, J.

The petitioner, who apprehends arrest at the hands of the respondent police for the offences punishable under Sections 328 of IPC r/w 7 and 20(1) of COTPA Act 2003 in Crime No.177 of 2022 on the file of the respondent police, seeks anticipatory bail.

2. The case of the prosecution is that when the respondent police was on regular patrol, they found that the petitioner along with other accused was found in illegal possession of 1200 kgs of banned tobacco products worth about Rs.6,60,000/- and the same was transported in a Bolero Pickup car. The respondent police seized the said contraband tobacco products and the car and registered the case against the petitioner and others.

3. The learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that the petitioner is an innocent person and he has not committed any such offence as alleged by the prosecution and he has been falsely implicated in this case. Hence, he prays to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioner. 1/3

4. The learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondent submits that the petitioner along with other accused was found in illegal possession of 1200 kgs of banned tobacco products worth about Rs.6,60,000/- and the same was transported in a Bolero Pickup car. The respondent police seized the said contraband tobacco products and the car. Hence, he vehemently opposed to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioners.

5. Taking into consideration the facts and submissions of the learned Counsel and also the fact that huge quantity of contraband tobacco and hence, the custodial interrogation of the petitioner is very much required in this case, this Court is not inclined to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioner.

6. Accordingly, this Criminal Original Petition is dismissed. 25.08.2022 vv 2/3

G.K.ILANTHIRAIYAN, J.

Vv 25.08.2022 3/3

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