Amandeep Singh vs State Of Hp on 14 July, 2026

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    Himachal Pradesh High Court

    Amandeep Singh vs State Of Hp on 14 July, 2026

                                                                                     2026:HHC:28393
    
    
    
    
         IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA
    
                                                  Cr. MP(M) No. 993 of 2026
    
    
    
    
                                                                                       .
                                                  Reserved on: 13.07.2026
    
    
    
    
    
                                                  Decided on: 14.7.2026
    
    
    
    
    
        Amandeep Singh                                                               .... Petitioner
                                         Versus
    
    
    
    
                                                         of
        State of HP                                                                  .... Respondent
    
    
        Coram                  rt
        Hon'ble Mr Justice Rakesh Kainthla, Judge.
    
        Whether approved for reporting?1                   No.
    
        For the Petitioner                          :      Mr Sunil           Kumar         Banyal,
                                                           Advocate.
    
    
        For the Respondent/State                    :      Mr     Jitender   Sharma,
                                                           Additional Advocate General.
    
    
    
    
        Rakesh Kainthla, Judge (oral)
    

    The petitioner has filed the present petition seeking

    regular bail in FIR No. 78 of 2026 dated 20.04.2026 registered at

    SPONSORED

    Police Station Balh, District Mandi, H.P., for the commission of

    offences punishable under Sections 20, 25 and 29 of the Narcotic

    Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act).

    2. It has been asserted that, as per the prosecution, the

    police intercepted a vehicle bearing registration No. PB-02EK-

    1

    Whether reporters of Local Papers may be allowed to see the judgment? Yes.

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    6363 coming from Kullu near Shani Dev Temple, Nagchala, on

    20.04.2026. The police demanded the documents of the vehicle,

    .

    and the occupants became frightened. The police joined Chirag

    Sood and Pankaj Gautam as witnesses and enquired about the

    names of the occupants of the vehicle. The driver disclosed his

    name as Safal Pratap Singh, the person sitting beside the driver

    of
    revealed his name as Arpinder Singh, and the persons sitting on

    the rear seat disclosed their names as Harpinder Singh and
    rt
    Amandeep Singh (present petitioner). The police searched the

    vehicle and recovered a carry bag containing 832 grams of

    charas. The police seized the charas and arrested the occupants

    of the vehicle. These allegations are false. The petitioner has no

    role to play in the commission of the crime. He has remained

    behind bars for about one and a half months. The police have

    completed the investigation, and the petitioner’s further

    detention is not justified. The quantity of charas stated to have

    been recovered by the police is intermediate, and the rigours of

    Section 37 of the NDPS Act do not apply to the present case. The

    petitioner would abide by the terms and conditions that the Court

    may impose. Hence, it was prayed that the present petition be

    allowed and the petitioner be released on bail.

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    3. The petition is opposed by filing a status report

    asserting that the police had set up a naka near Shani Dev Temple

    .

    on Kullu Mandi Highway on 20.04.2026. The police intercepted a

    vehicle bearing registration No. PB-02EK-6363. The occupants

    appeared to be frightened after seeing the police. The police

    joined Chirag Sood and Pankaj Gautam as witnesses. The driver

    of
    identified himself as Safal Pratap Singh, the person sitting beside

    the driver identified himself as Arpinder Singh and the person
    rt
    sitting in the rear seat identified themselves as Harpinder Singh

    and Amandeep Singh. The police searched the vehicle and

    recovered a carry bag containing 832 grams of charas. The police

    arrested the occupants and seized the charas. FIR 149 of 2025 has

    been registered against the petitioner for the commission of an

    offence punishable under Section 21 of the NDPS Act. Co-accused

    Safal Pratap Singh and Arpinder Singh have been released on

    bail, whereas Arpinder Singh and Amardeep Singh are in judicial

    custody. The charge sheet has been prepared and will be filed

    before the Court soon. Hence, the status report.

    4. I have heard Mr Sunil Kumar Banyal, learned counsel

    for the petitioner and Mr Ajit Sharma, learned Deputy Advocate

    General, for the respondent/State.

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    5. Mr Sunil Kumar Banyal, learned counsel for the

    petitioner, submitted that the petitioner is innocent and he was

    .

    falsely implicated. He was travelling as a passenger in the vehicle

    and did not know about any contraband being carried in it. The

    quantity of charas stated to have been recovered by the police is

    intermediate, and the rigours of Section 37 of the NDPS Act do

    of
    not apply to the present case. The petitioner would abide by the

    terms and conditions that the Court may impose. Hence, he
    rt
    prayed that the petitioner be released on bail.

    6. Mr Ajit Sharma, learned Deputy Advocate General for

    the respondent/State, submitted that the petitioner was

    travelling in the car from which a recovery of 832 grams of

    charas was effected. The quantity was huge and could not have

    been meant for self-consumption. The narcotics are adversely

    affecting the young generation, and no leniency should be shown

    to the petitioner. Hence, he prayed that the present petition be

    dismissed.

    7. I have given a considerable thought to the

    submissions made at the bar and have gone through the records

    carefully.

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    8. The parameters for granting bail were considered by

    the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Pinki v. State of U.P., (2025) 7 SCC

    .

    314: 2025 SCC OnLine SC 781, wherein it was observed at page 380:

    (i) Broad principles for the grant of bail

    56. InGudikantiNarasimhulu v. High Court of A.P., (1978) 1
    SCC 240: 1978 SCC (Cri) 115, Krishna Iyer, J., while
    elaborating on the content of Article 21 of the Constitution

    of
    of India in the context of personal liberty of a person
    under trial, has laid down the key factors that should be
    considered while granting bail, which are extracted as
    under: (SCC p. 244, paras 7-9)
    rt
    “7. It is thus obvious that the nature of the charge is the
    vital factor, and the nature of the evidence is also

    pertinent. The punishment to which the party may be
    liable, if convicted or a conviction is confirmed, also
    bears upon the issue.

    8. Another relevant factor is whether the course of justice

    would be thwarted by him who seeks the benignant
    jurisdiction of the Court to be freed for the time being.

    [Patrick Devlin, “The Criminal Prosecution in England”

    (Oxford University Press, London 1960) p. 75 —
    Modern Law Review, Vol. 81, Jan. 1968, p. 54.]

    9. Thus, the legal principles and practice validate the Court
    considering the likelihood of the applicant interfering with

    witnesses for the prosecution or otherwise polluting the
    process of justice. It is not only traditional but rational, in
    this context, to enquire into the antecedents of a man who
    is applying for bail to find whether he has a bad record,
    particularly a record which suggests that he is likely to
    commit serious offences while on bail. In regard to
    habituals, it is part of criminological history that a
    thoughtless bail order has enabled the bailee to exploit the
    opportunity to inflict further crimes on the members of
    society. Bail discretion, on the basis of evidence about the

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    criminal record of a defendant, is therefore not an exercise
    in irrelevance.” (emphasis supplied)

    57. In Prahlad Singh Bhati v. State (NCT of Delhi), (2001) 4

    .

    SCC 280: 2001 SCC (Cri) 674, this Court highlighted various

    aspects that the courts should keep in mind while dealing
    with an application seeking bail. The same may be
    extracted as follows: (SCC pp. 284-85, para 8)

    “8. The jurisdiction to grant bail has to be exercised on the
    basis of well-settled principles, having regard to the
    circumstances of each case and not in an arbitrary manner.

    of
    While granting the bail, the court has to keep in mind the
    nature of accusations, the nature of evidence in support
    thereof, the severity of the punishment which conviction
    will entail, the character, behaviour, means and standing
    rt
    of the accused, circumstances which are peculiar to the
    accused, reasonable possibility of securing the presence of

    the accused at the trial, reasonable apprehension of the
    witnesses being tampered with, the larger interests of the
    public or State and similar other considerations. It has also
    to be kept in mind that for the purposes of granting the bail

    the legislature has used the words “reasonable grounds for
    believing” instead of “the evidence” which means the
    court dealing with the grant of bail can only satisfy it (sic

    itself) as to whether there is a genuine case against the
    accused and that the prosecution will be able to produce

    prima facie evidence in support of the charge.” (emphasis
    supplied)

    58. This Court in Ram Govind Upadhyay v. Sudarshan Singh,
    (2002) 3 SCC 598: 2002 SCC (Cri) 688, speaking through
    Banerjee, J., emphasised that a court exercising discretion
    in matters of bail has to undertake the same judiciously. In
    highlighting that bail should not be granted as a matter of
    course, bereft of cogent reasoning, this Court observed as
    follows: (SCC p. 602, para 3)
    “3. Grant of bail, though being a discretionary order, but,
    however, calls for the exercise of such a discretion in a
    judicious manner and not as a matter of course. An order
    for bail bereft of any cogent reason cannot be sustained.

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    Needless to record, however, that the grant of bail is
    dependent upon the contextual facts of the matter being
    dealt with by the court and facts do always vary from case
    to case. While the placement of the accused in society,

    .

    though it may be considered by itself, cannot be a guiding
    factor in the matter of grant of bail, the same should
    always be coupled with other circumstances warranting

    the grant of bail. The nature of the offence is one of the
    basic considerations for the grant of bail — the more
    heinous is the crime, the greater is the chance of rejection

    of
    of the bail, though, however, dependent on the factual
    matrix of the matter.” (emphasis supplied)

    59. In Kalyan Chandra Sarkar v. Rajesh Ranjan, (2004) 7 SCC
    528: 2004 SCC (Cri) 1977, this Court held that although it is
    rt
    established that a court considering a bail application
    cannot undertake a detailed examination of evidence and

    an elaborate discussion on the merits of the case, yet the
    court is required to indicate the prima facie reasons
    justifying the grant of bail.

    60. In Prasanta Kumar Sarkar v. Ashis Chatterjee, (2010) 14

    SCC 496: (2011) 3 SCC (Cri) 765, this Court observed that
    where a High Court has granted bail mechanically, the said
    order would suffer from the vice of non-application of

    mind, rendering it illegal. This Court held as under with
    regard to the circumstances under which an order

    granting bail may be set aside. In doing so, the factors
    which ought to have guided the Court’s decision to grant

    bail have also been detailed as under: (SCC p. 499, para 9)
    “9. … It is trite that this Court does not, normally, interfere
    with an order passed by the High Court granting or
    rejecting bail to the accused. However, it is equally
    incumbent upon the High Court to exercise its discretion
    judiciously, cautiously and strictly in compliance with the
    basic principles laid down in a plethora of decisions of this
    Court on the point. It is well settled that, among other
    circumstances, the factors to be borne in mind while
    considering an application for bail are:

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    (i) whether there is any prima facie or reasonable
    ground to believe that the accused had committed the
    offence;

    .

    (ii) nature and gravity of the accusation;

    (iii) severity of the punishment in the event of
    conviction;

    (iv) danger of the accused absconding or fleeing, if

    released on bail;

    (v) character, behaviour, means, position and standing
    of the accused;

    of

    (vi) likelihood of the offence being repeated;

    (vii) reasonable apprehension of the witnesses being
    influenced; and
    rt

    (viii) danger, of course, of justice being thwarted by
    grant of bail.” (emphasis supplied)

    xxxxxxx

    62. One of the judgments of this Court on the aspect of
    application of mind and requirement of judicious exercise
    of discretion in arriving at an order granting bail to the

    accused is Brijmani Devi v. Pappu Kumar, (2022) 4 SCC 497 :

    (2022) 2 SCC (Cri) 170, wherein a three-Judge Bench of this
    Court, while setting aside an unreasoned and casual order

    (Pappu Kumar v. State of Bihar, 2021 SCC OnLine Pat 2856
    and Pappu Singh v. State of Bihar, 2021 SCC OnLine Pat

    2857) of the High Court granting bail to the accused,
    observed as follows: (Brijmani Devi v. Pappu Kumar, (2022)
    4 SCC 497 : (2022) 2 SCC (Cri) 170]), SCC p. 511, para 35)

    “35. While we are conscious of the fact that liberty of an
    individual is an invaluable right, at the same time while
    considering an application for bail courts cannot lose sight
    of the serious nature of the accusations against an accused
    and the facts that have a bearing in the case, particularly,
    when the accusations may not be false, frivolous or
    vexatious in nature but are supported by adequate material
    brought on record to enable a court to arrive at a prima
    facie conclusion. While considering an application for the
    grant of bail, a prima facie conclusion must be supported
    by reasons and must be arrived at after having regard to

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    the vital facts of the case brought on record. Due
    consideration must be given to facts suggestive of the
    nature of crime, the criminal antecedents of the accused, if
    any, and the nature of punishment that would follow a

    .

    conviction vis-à-vis the offence(s) alleged against an
    accused.” (emphasis supplied)

    9. Hon’ble Supreme Court held in State of Rajasthan v.

    Balchand, (1977) 4 SCC 308: 1977 SCC (Cri) 594: 1977 SCC OnLine SC

    of
    261 that the normal rule is bail and not jail, except where the

    gravity of the crime or the heinousness of the offence suggests
    rt
    otherwise. It was observed at page 308:

    2. The basic rule may perhaps be tersely put as bail, not
    jail, except where there are circumstances suggestive of
    fleeing from justice or thwarting the course of justice or
    creating other troubles in the shape of repeating offences

    or intimidating witnesses and the like, by the petitioner
    who seeks enlargement on bail from the Court. We do not
    intend to be exhaustive but only illustrative.

    3. It is true that the gravity of the offence involved is likely

    to induce the petitioner to avoid the course of justice and
    must weigh with us when considering the question of jail.

    So also, the heinousness of the crime….”

    10. The present petition has to be decided as per the

    parameters laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court.

    11. A perusal of the status report shows that the

    petitioner was travelling in the vehicle bearing registration No.

    PB-02EK-6363, from which the police had recovered 832 grams

    of charas. In Madan Lal versus State of H.P. (2003) 7 SCC 465: 2003

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    SCC (Cri) 1664: 2003 SCC OnLineSC 874, the contraband was

    recovered from a vehicle, and it was held that all the occupants of

    .

    the vehicle would be in conscious possession of the contraband.

    It was observed:

    “19. Whether there was conscious possession has to be
    determined with reference to the factual backdrop. The

    of
    facts which can be culled out from the evidence on record
    are that all the accused persons were travelling in a
    vehicle, and as noted by the trial court, they were known
    to each other, and it has not been explained or shown as to
    rt
    how they travelled together from the same destination in a
    vehicle which was not a public vehicle.

    20. Section 20(b) makes possession of contraband articles
    an offence. Section 20 appears in Chapter IV of the Act,
    which relates to offences for possession of such articles. It
    is submitted that to make the possession illicit, there must

    be conscious possession.

    21. It is highlighted that unless the possession was coupled

    with the requisite mental element, i.e., conscious
    possession and not mere custody without awareness of the

    nature of such possession, Section 20 is not attracted.

    22. The expression “possession” is a polymorphous term
    that assumes different colours in different contexts. It

    may carry different meanings in contextually different
    backgrounds. It is impossible, as was observed in the
    Supdt. & Remembrancer of Legal Affairs, W.B. v. Anil Kumar
    Bhunja
    [(1979) 4 SCC 274: 1979 SCC (Cri) 1038: AIR 1980 SC
    52] to work out a completely logical and precise definition
    of “possession” uniformly applicable to all situations in
    the context of all statutes.

    23. The word “conscious” means awareness of a particular
    fact. It is a state of mind which is deliberate or intended.

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    24. As noted in Gunwantlal v. State of M.P. [(1972) 2 SCC
    194: 1972 SCC (Cri) 678: AIR 1972 SC 1756], possession in a
    given case need not be physical possession but can be
    constructive, having power and control over the article in

    .

    the case in question, while the person to whom physical
    possession is given holds it subject to that power or
    control.

    25. The word “possession” means the legal right to
    possession (see Heath v. Drown [(1972) 2 All ER 561: 1973 AC
    498: (1972) 2 WLR 1306 (HL)] ). In an interesting case, it

    of
    was observed that where a person keeps his firearm in his
    mother’s flat, which is safer than his own home, he must
    be considered to be in possession of the same. (See
    Sullivan v. Earl of Caithness [(1976) 1 All ER 844: 1976 QB
    rt
    966: (1976) 2 WLR 361 (QBD)].)

    26. Once possession is established, the person who claims

    that it was not a conscious possession has to establish it
    because how he came to be in possession is within his
    special knowledge. Section 35 of the Act gives a statutory

    recognition of this position because of the presumption
    available in law. Similar is the position in terms of Section
    54
    , where a presumption is also available to be drawn

    from possession of illicit articles.

    27. In the factual scenario of the present case, not only

    possession but conscious possession has been established.
    It has not been shown by the accused-appellants that the
    possession was not conscious in the logical background of

    Sections 35 and 54 of the Act.”

    12. Therefore, prima facie, the petitioner was in

    possession of 832 grams of charas.

    13. It was submitted that the quantity of charas stated to

    have been recovered from the petitioner’s possession is

    intermediate, and the rigours of Section 37 of NDPS do not apply

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    to the present case. The petitioner is entitled to bail as a matter of

    right. This submission is not acceptable. It was laid down by this

    .

    Court in Khushi Ram Gupta v. State of H.P., 2022 SCC OnLine HP

    3779, that the menace of drug addiction has seriously eroded into

    the fabric of society, and the release of an accused on bail in

    NDPS Act cases will send a negative signal to society. It was

    of
    observed:

    “8. The menace of drug addiction, especially in adolescents
    rt
    and students, has seriously eroded into the fabric of society,
    putting the future generation as well as the prospects of

    future nation-building into serious peril.

    9. It is not a case where the investigating agency is clueless
    in respect of evidence against the petitioner. Though

    allegations against the petitioner are yet to be proved in
    accordance with the law, it cannot be taken singly as a
    factor to grant bail to the petitioner. Nothing has been

    placed on record on behalf of the petitioner to divulge as to
    how and in what manner he came in contact with the

    persons who were residents of the State of Himachal
    Pradesh. Thus, there is sufficient prima facie material to
    infer the implication of the petitioner in the crime. In such

    circumstances, the release of the petitioner on bail will send
    a negative signal in society, which will definitely be
    detrimental to its interests.

    10. The prima facie involvement of the petitioner in the
    dangerous trade of contraband cannot be ignored merely on
    account of the fact that he has no past criminal history. It
    cannot be guaranteed that there will be re-indulgence by
    the petitioner in similar activities, in case he is released on
    bail.”

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    14. Similarly, it was held in Bunty Yadav v. State of H.P.,

    2022 SCC OnLine HP 4996, that the bail cannot be claimed as a

    .

    matter of right even though the rigours of Section 37 of the NDPS

    Act do not apply to a case. Each case has to be adjudged on its

    own facts. It was observed:

    “6. The quantity involved in the case is 89.89 grams of

    of
    heroin and 3.90 grams of MDMA. Such quantity may not
    technically fall under the category of commercial quantity;
    nevertheless, such quantity cannot be termed to be less by
    rt
    any stretch of the imagination. The evident nature of
    commercial transactions and dealing with the contraband
    aggravates the situation for the petitioner. In a case where

    Section 37 of the NDPS Act is not applicable, the bail
    cannot be claimed as a matter of right. The fate depends
    on the facts of each and every case.

    7. The menace of drug addiction, especially in adolescents
    and students, has seriously eroded into the fabric of
    society, putting the future generation as well as the

    prospects of future nation-building into serious peril.”

    15. It was laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in

    Union of India v Namdeo Ashruba Nakade SLP (Crl.) 9792/2025,

    decided on 07.11.2025, that there is a concerning increase in drug

    abuse amongst the youth. It was observed: –

    8. This Court is of the view that the issue of substance
    abuse has emerged as a global public health crisis in the
    twenty-first century, affecting every country worldwide,
    as drug trafficking and addiction have become pervasive.

    The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
    reported in its 2025 World Drug Report that “As at 2023,

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    some 316 million people worldwide had used drugs in the
    past year, representing an increase over the past decade
    that outpaces population growth, which indicates a higher
    prevalence of drug use.”

    .

    9. In India, there has been a concerning increase in drug
    abuse among the youth. Substance abuse not only affects
    individuals, families, and communities but also

    undermines various aspects of health, including physical,
    social, political, and cultural foundations, and mental
    well-being. (See: “Bhattacharya S, Menon GS, Garg S,

    of
    Grover A, Saleem SM, Kushwaha P. The lingering menace
    of drug abuse among the Indian youth-it’s time for
    action. Indian J Community Med 2025;50: S9-12,
    published on 17th April, 2025”)
    rt

    10. According to many news reports, India faces a clear
    dilemma between tackling the narcotics crisis

    systematically or sacrificing its most valuable resource,
    i.e. its young people. The extent of menace of drug abuse
    has also been highlighted by this Court in the case of

    Ankush Vipan Kapoor v. National Investigation Agency,
    (2025) 5 SCC 155, wherein this Court has observed as
    under:

    “9.1 The ills of drug abuse seem to be shadowing the
    length and breadth of our country, with the Central

    and every State Government fighting against the
    menace of substance abuse. The debilitating impact
    of the drug trade and drug abuse is an immediate

    and serious concern for India. As the globe grapples
    with the menace of escalating substance use
    disorders (“SUD”) and an ever-accessible drug
    market, the consequences leave a generational Page
    75 of 84 imprint on public health and even national
    security. Article 47 of the Constitution makes it a
    duty of the State to regard the raising of the level of
    nutrition and the standard of living of its people and
    the improvement of public health as among its
    primary duties, and in particular, the State shall
    endeavour to bring about the prohibition of the

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    consumption except for medicinal purposes of
    intoxicating drinks and of drugs which are injurious
    to health. The State has a responsibility to address
    the root causes of this predicament and develop

    .

    effective intervention strategies to ensure that
    India’s younger population, which is particularly
    vulnerable to substance abuse, is protected and

    saved from such a menace. This is particularly
    because substance abuse is linked to social problems
    and can contribute to child maltreatment, spousal

    of
    violence, and even property crime in a family.”

    16. Hence, the petitioner cannot be released on bail

    merely because the rigours of Section 37 of the NDPS Act do not
    rt
    apply to the present case.

    17. The petitioner has criminal antecedents. This Court

    dealt with the relevance of criminal antecedents while granting

    bail in Champa vs. State of H.P.: 2025:HHC:28899 and held that the

    criminal antecedents would disentitle an accused from the

    concession of bail, especially when the FIR registered against

    him related to the commission of a similar offence. This

    judgment was unsuccessfully assailed before the Hon’ble

    Supreme Court in SLP(Criminal) 19120 of 2025 titled Champa Devi

    vs State of H.P., decided on 27.11.2025. Therefore, the relevance of

    criminal antecedents cannot be ignored. In the present case, the

    registration of the FIR against the petitioner for the commission

    of an offence punishable under the NDPS Act shows that the

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    apprehension of the prosecution is justified, that the petitioner

    would indulge in the commission of a similar offence in case of

    .

    his release on bail. Thus, the petitioner is not entitled to bail

    because of his criminal antecedents.

    18. It was submitted that the co-accused has been

    released on bail and the petitioner is entitled to bail on the

    of
    principle of parity. This submission cannot be accepted. The

    principle of parity demands that the circumstances between the
    rt
    petitioner and the co-accused should be similar. It was laid down

    by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Ramesh Bhavan Rathod v.

    Vishanbhai Hirabhai Makwana, (2021) 6 SCC 230: (2021) 2 SCC

    (Cri) 722: 2021 SCC OnLine SC 335 that while determining the

    parity, the role of the accused has to be considered. It was

    observed at page 246

    “Parity, while granting bail, must focus upon the role of

    the accused. Merely observing that another accused who
    was granted bail was armed with a similar weapon is not
    sufficient to determine whether a case for the grant of bail
    based on parity has been established. In deciding the
    aspect of parity, the role attached to the accused, their
    position in relation to the incident, and the victims is of
    utmost importance. The High Court has proceeded on the
    basis of parity on a simplistic assessment as noted above,
    which again cannot pass muster under the law.”

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    17

    2026:HHC:28393

    19. This position was reiterated in Tarun Kumar v.

    Enforcement Directorate, AIR 2024 SC 169: 2023 SCC OnLine SC

    .

    1486, wherein it was observed:

    “18. The submission of learned Counsel Mr Luthra to

    grant bail to the appellant on the ground that the other
    co-accused, who were similarly situated as the appellant,
    have been granted bail, also cannot be accepted. It may be

    of
    noted that parity is not the law. While applying the
    principle of parity, the Court is required to focus upon the
    role attached to the accused whose application is under
    consideration.”

    rt

    20. In the present case, the co-accused does not have

    criminal antecedents, and the petitioner cannot claim parity with

    him.

    21. No other point was urged.

    22. In view of the above, the petitioner is not entitled to

    bail. Hence, the present petition fails, and it is dismissed.

    23. The observation made herein before shall remain

    confined to the disposal of the instant petition and will have no

    bearing whatsoever on the merits of the case.

    (Rakesh Kainthla)
    Judge
    14th July, 2026
    (Chander)

    ::: Downloaded on – 14/07/2026 20:33:59 :::CIS



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