Sasi Kumar @ Maandi v. The State Rep By, The Inspector Of Police,

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED : 09.10.2025

CORAM

THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE K.RAJASEKAR Crl.O.P.Nos.24114, 24117 and 25810 of 2025 Sasi Kumar @ Maandi ... Petitioner (in Crl.O.P.No.24114/2025) Pavithra ... Petitioner (in Crl.O.P.No.24117/2025) Prakash Raj ... Petitioner (in Crl.O.P.No.25810/2025)

Versus

The Inspector of Police, H-8 Thiruvottiyur Police Station, (Crime No. 736 of 2025) ... Respondent COMMON PRAYER : Criminal Original Petitions filed under Section 483 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, to enlarge the petitioners on bail in Crime No. 736 of 2025 dated on 16.05.2025 pending on the file of respondent police.

For Petitioners : Mr. R. Dinesh For Respondent : Mr. A.Gopinath Government Advocate (Crl. Side) 1/8

COMMON ORDER The petitioner/A2 in Crl.O.P.No.24114/2025, who was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on 21.06.2025, for the offences punishable under Section 8(c), 20(b)(ii)(C), 29(1) of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, in Crime No.736 of 2025 dated 29.06.2025 on the file of the respondent Police, seeks bail. 2.

The petitioner/A5 in Crl.O.P.No.24117/2025, who was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on 21.06.2025, for the offences punishable under Section 8(c), 20(b)(ii)(C), 29(1) of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, in Crime No.736 of 2025 dated 29.06.2025 on the file of the respondent Police, seeks bail. 3.

The petitioner/A1 in Crl.O.P.No.25810/2025, who was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on 16.05.2025, for the offences punishable under Section 8(c) r/w 20(b)(ii)(C), 29(1) of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, in Crime No.736 of 2025 dated 29.06.2025 on the file of the respondent Police, seeks bail. 2/8

4.

The allegation against the petitioner is that on 16.05.2025 at about 16.05.2025 at about 07.45 hours, when Tr. Sivakumar, Sub Inspector of Police was in station duty, he received a secret information regarding the illegal transport of narcotic substances. Based on the said information, the said Sub Inspector of Police, along with his team, proceeded to the scene of occurrence near Thiruvottiyur Railway Station. At that time, three suspected persons were found standing at the spot. The police party immediately caught hold of them and conducted an enquiry, during which they came to know that the said accused persons, namely Prakashraj/A1, Sasikumar @ Maandi/A2 and Rishikumar/A3.

On searching the said accused A1 to A3, they were found in possession of 25 kilograms of ganja, which was seized from A1 under the seizure mahazar in the presence of witnesses. Thereafter, the Sub Inspector of Police arrested the accused A1 to A3 and recorded the confession statement of A1, and brought them to the respondent police station.

purchased the contraband with the help of Arun (A7) and Barani (A8), who communicated with the sellers in Hindi, and that they attempted to sell the same for their personal gain. Hence, the present case has been registered against the petitioners.

5.

The learned counsel for the petitioners submitted that there was no recovery from the petitioners/accused A2 and A5. It was A1 and A3, who had purchased the ganja from Odisha, while transporting the same, the respondent police intercepted at the railway station and arrested them. Based solely on the confession statements of A1 and A3, the other accused A4 to A8 were implicated in this case. The petitioners have not committed any offence as alleged by the prosecution and they have been falsely implicated. He further submitted that the petitioners are ready to abide by any stringent conditions that may be imposed by this Court. Hence, he prays for grant of bail to the petitioners.

6.

The learned Government Advocate (Criminal side) appearing for 4/8

the respondent reported that the accused/A1 and A3 were caught red-handedly by the respondent Police while in possession of 25 kilograms of ganja (commercial quantity). He further submitted that the ranks of the petitioners in Crl.O.P.Nos.24114, 24117 and 25810 of 2025, are A2, A5 and A1 respectively, and that based on the confession statements of A1 and A3, the petitioners have been implicated as an accused in this case. He also pointed out that the petitioner/A5 has one previous case of similar in nature. Therefore, he opposed to grant bail to the petitioners.

7.

Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, the seizure of commercial quantity of contraband, and the fact that the accused/A1 and A3 were arrested at the spot, and that the accused/A5 was later arrested for having financed the purchase of the contraband and being a close relative of the other accused, this Court finds that the investigation is still pending. 8.

On perusal of records, it is seen that on 14.06.2025, the accused 5/8

A4 to A6 were produced before the Judicial Magistrate Court No.1, Thiruvottiyur and remanded them to judicial custody. Now, the accused A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8 have been arrested on 08.07.2025. Since a huge commercial quantity of contraband has been recovered in this case, and granting bail to the petitioners at this stage would hamper the ongoing investigation. Hence I am not inclined to consider the petitions for grant of bail to the petitioners.

9.

Accordingly, this Criminal Original Petition stands dismissed. 09.10.2025 klt 6/8

To 1.The Judicial Magistrate, Thiruvottiyur.

2.The Inspector of Police, H-8 Thiruvottiyur Police Station, (Crime No.736 of 2025) 3.The Public Prosecutor, High Court of Madras, Chennai. 7/8

K.RAJASEKAR , J.

klt Crl.O.P.Nos.24114, 24117 and 25810 of 2025 09.10.2025 8/8