Petitioner seeks regular bail under section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik
Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
2. Petitioner is the 9th accused in Crime No. 973 of 2024 of Punalur
Police Station, Kollam which is now pending as S.C. No.710 of 2025 before
the Additional Sessions Court-V, Kollam. The offences alleged against the
petitioner are under section 20(b)(ii)(C) apart from sections 29, 25 and 8A(C)
of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS for
short). The accused are also alleged to have committed offences under
sections 111(2)(b), 111(4) and 238(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
(BNS for short).
3. Prosecution alleges that on 11.07.2024, pursuant to an information
received that narcotic drugs are stored in a house for the purpose of sale, a
search was conducted and accused 1 and 2 were found in possession of
30.370 Kg of ganja packed in 22 separate covers and stored in sacks. The
first and second accused were arrested from the spot. During the course of
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investigation, other persons were also roped in as accused, based on the
confessional statements of a co-accused. Accused 3 to 6, 10 and 11 are
alleged to have transported the contraband from Odisha to Kerala on
27.06.2024 and later transported it to Punalur in an autorickshaw driven by
the petitioner. On the basis of the above allegations, petitioner was arrayed
as the 9th accused and he was arrested on 09.12.2024 and has been in
custody since then.