Allowed¶20

Jagtar Singh v. State of Punjab

Punjab & Haryana HC12 Jan 2026CRM-M/73109/2025

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Jagtar Singh regular bail NDPS; Sections 15 and 29 NDPS Act 1985; poppy husk 51 kg recovery; truck PB-02-DV-2268 registered owner; FIR No.116 10.10.2025 PS City Zira Ferozepur; Section 483 BNSS 2023 bail petition; custody since 12.10.2025; clean antecedents; Vinod S. Bhardwaj; CRM-M-73109-2025(O&M); Punjab & Haryana High Court.

What did the court decide?

Regular bail granted; petitioner to be released on furnishing requisite bail bond/surety bond to the satisfaction of the trial Court/Duty Magistrate concerned, subject to not threatening or influencing prosecution witnesses. ¶20

Jagtar Singh Vs State of Punjab — Narcotics (NDPS) | Punjab & Haryana HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

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Issue for consideration

Whether regular bail should be granted to the petitioner, arraigned in FIR No.116 dated 10.10.2025 (Sections 15 and 29, NDPS Act, 1985) after recovery of about 51 kg of poppy husk from truck PB-02-DV-2268, on the contention that he was nominated as an accused solely because he is the registered owner of the truck and that this does not establish his complicity.

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Court's answer

Weighing the facts, the period of custody already undergone, the petitioner's clean antecedents, the stage of investigation and the attribution against the petitioner, the Judge deemed it appropriate to allow the bail petition.

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Ratio / Principle

The petitioner is ordered to be released on regular bail upon furnishing requisite bail bond/surety bond to the satisfaction of the trial Court/Duty Magistrate concerned.

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Key takeaways

The petitioner shall not extend any threat to, or influence in any manner directly or indirectly, any prosecution witnesses.obiter¶21
The observations in the judgment are not to be construed as an expression on the merits of the case; the Trial Court shall decide the case on the basis of available material.obiter¶22

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Punjab & Haryana High Court (Vinod S. Bhardwaj, J., oral), CRM-M-73109-2025(O&M), decided 12.01.2026: Regular bail granted to Jagtar Singh, arraigned under FIR No.116 dated 10.10.2025, PS City Zira, District Ferozepur, under Sections 15 and 29, NDPS Act, 1985, following interception of truck PB-02-DV-2268 and recovery of about 51 kg poppy husk; petitioner, allegedly nominated solely as registered owner of the vehicle, in custody since 12.10.2025 with no other criminal case and nothing recoverable from him, was granted bail considering custody period, clean antecedents, stage of investigation and the limited attribution; observations expressly not an expression on merits; petitioner directed not to threaten or influence prosecution witnesses.

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH

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220

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CRM-M-73109-2025(O&M) Date of decision: 12.01.2026

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Jagtar Singh ...Petitioner

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VERSUS

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State of Punjab ...Respondent

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CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE VINOD S. BHARDWAJ Present :- Mr. Harpal Singh Sidhu, Advocate f o r the petitioner.

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Mr. Mohit Kapoor, Sr.DAG, Punjab.

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VINOD S. BHARDWAJ, J. (Oral)

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Th e instant first petition has been fi led under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Naga r ik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for grant of regular bail to the petitioner in c a se bearing FIR No.116 dated 10.10.2025 registered under Sections 15 an d 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and P sychotropic Substances Act, 1985 at Police S t ation City Zira, District Ferozep u r. 2. Le a rned counsel appearing on behal f of the petitioner submits that the FIR in the present case came to be registered on the basis of secret information to t h e effect that Sandeep Singh, so n of Satnam Singh, resident of Village Kulla, T ehsil Patti, District Tarn Tarana n d Gurpreet Singh alias Gora, son of Gurjant Singh, resident of Johal Naga r , Zira, were engaged in the business of selling poppy husk. It was further s t ated that they were to arrive carrying poppy h usk in a truck bearing Registration No. PB-02-DV-2268, with Sandeep Singh d riving the said vehicle. Acting upon the said information, a naka/checkpost w as set up and the truck was inte r cepted, whereupon a recovery of about 51 kilo g rams of poppy husk was effecte d from the vehicle. 3. Co u nsel for the petitioner conte n ds that as per the secret information, co-accused Sandeep Singh and Gur p reet Singh @ Gora were the persons who we r e engaged in dealing of the con t raband and the petitioner has been nominated as an accused solely because h e is registered owner of the SUMIT SINGH GUSAIN 2026.01.13 10:19 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document

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CRM-M-73109-2025(O&M)

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220

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truck in question, but the same would not establish any complicity or involvement of the petitioner in the commission of the offence. He further contends that the petitioner is not involved in any other criminal case and that he is in custody since 12.10.2025 and no recovery of any nature whatsoever is to be effected from him.

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Learned State counsel does not dispute the facts noticed above.

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I have heard learned counsel appearing on behalf of the respective

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parties and have gone through the documents appended along with the present petition.

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Taking into consideration the aforesaid facts, the period of custody already undergone by the petitioner, his clean antecedents, the stage of investigation as well as the attribution against the petitioner, I deem it appropriate to allow the present petition.

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The instant petition is allowed and the petitioner is ordered to be released on regular bail on his furnishing requisite bail bond/surety bond to the satisfaction of the trial Court/Duty Magistrate, concerned.

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It is made clear that the petitioner shall not extend any threat and shall not influence any prosecution witnesses in any manner directly or indirectly.

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The observation made hereinabove shall not be construed as an expression on the merits of the case and the Trial Court shall decide the case on the basis of available material.

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Pending application(s), if any, shall stand disposed of.

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12.01.2026 (VINOD S. BHARDWAJ) Sumit Gusain JUDGE Whether speaking/reasoned : Yes/No Whether reportable : Yes/No

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SUMIT SINGH GUSAIN 2026.01.13 10:19 I attest to the accuracy and integrity of this document

Jagtar Singh v. State of Punjab

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Jagtar Singh v. State of Punjab

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Why is it important?

What the court decided

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