Islam Chowdhury @ Islam v. The National Investigation Agency

11.12.2025 Item no. 40.

Court No.8.

AB CRA (DB) 179 of 2024 With CRAN 1 of 2025 In the matter of : Islam Chowdhury @ Islam ......Petitioner/ Appellant.

Mr. Satadru Lahiri, Mr. Sourav Paul ......for the Appellant/ Petitioner.

Mr. Arun Kr. Maity (Mohanty), Spl. PP Mr. Bhaskar Prosad Banerjee, Spl. PP Mr. Debasish Tandon ......for the NIA.

Dictated by Arijit Banerjee, J.

In re : CRAN 1 of 2025

1. This is an application for relaxation of conditions of bail. The petitioner was granted bail by a Coordinate Bench by an order dated April 24, 2025. Two of the conditions of bail were that the petitioner shall not enter the Districts of Birbhum and Paschim Bardhaman until further orders except for attending Court proceedings and he shall reside within the municipal limits of Kolkata and/or Bidhannagar Commissionerate until further orders.

2. The petitioner has now applied for relaxation of conditions. He says that his resident is in Birbhum. He has been away from his home and relations for the last eight months. His business is being badly hampered because he is restricted to the municipal limits of

Kolkata and/or Bidhannagar Commissionerate. He seeks relaxation of the conditions mentioned above.

3. There is strong opposition from the side of National Investigation Agency (NIA) which has filed a written response to this application. According to learned Counsel for NIA, the petitioner and other accused persons are filing frivolous applications one after the other and not allowing the trial to proceed. Till date, they have successfully prevented framing of charge.

4. We have considered the rival contentions of the parties. We see that the petitioner is away from his home and hearth for the last eight months. It is not the case of NIA that he has breached any condition of bail or has misused his privilege in any manner.

5. Therefore, we are inclined to relax the condition of bail which requires the petitioner to reside within the municipal limits of Kolkata and/or Bidhannagar Commissionerate. That condition stands waived.

6. Further, the condition requiring the petitioner to report to the Deputy SP, NIA, Kolkata once in a week is relaxed to the extent that it will be sufficient for the petitioner to meet the Deputy SP, NIA, Kolkata once in a month. However, the petitioner shall not leave the geographical limits of West Bengal.

7. The other conditions of bail remain unaltered. This means that the petitioner shall not enter the Districts of Birbhum and Paschim Bardhaman until further orders.

8. CRAN 1 of 2025 is disposed of.

(Apurba Sinha Ray, J.) (Arijit Banerjee, J.)