New Delhi: Observing there was a shadow of doubt over the recovery proceedings, a Delhi court has granted bail to a man accused under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. The court noted that the contraband allegedly recovered during the raid was found in a red bag, which, notably, was never seized by the investigating officer (IO). Special judge Atul Ahlawat, in an order dated Oct 17, also pointed out that the IO neither issued notices to the independent witnesses nor recorded their statements. The court was hearing the bail plea of Praveen Kumar, who was booked by the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) under the NDPS Act. “Although the secret information was received around 30–31 hours prior to the alleged apprehension, recovery and seizure, the proceedings were neither photographed nor videographed,” the court observed. Granting Kumar bail on furnishing a bond of Rs 50,000 along with two sureties of the same amount, the judge imposed several conditions. These included restrictions on leaving the country, mandatory attendance with the IO, prohibition on tampering with evidence and regular appearance during trial proceedings.
