New Delhi. The Supreme Court has given bail to a person convicted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) Act, giving a big relief. The court took this decision because the man has been in jail for more than seven years and his appeal is unlikely to be heard soon. Justice Sanjay Kumar and Justice K. Vinod Chandran’s bench, while accepting the appeal of Manoj Kumar Gupta, canceled the order of Patna High Court, which had earlier suspended his sentence and denied bail. Manoj Kumar Gupta had challenged the decision of Patna High Court in May 2025, in which his bail plea was rejected.
Many allegations made under NDPS Act
The case pertains to an FIR registered in 2000, in which allegations were made under several serious sections of the NDPS Act, namely, 20(b)(ii)(C), 23(c), 24, 27A and 29. These sections usually relate to drug trafficking in large quantities and related crimes.
What did the Supreme Court comment on in its order?
The Supreme Court in its order said that even though the accused has been convicted in a case involving drugs in commercial quantities, he has already spent more than seven years in jail. Also, there is no possibility of his appeal being heard in Patna High Court any time soon, hence, it is appropriate to grant him bail in this situation. The court also said that the accused will have to deposit the fine imposed by the special court before getting bail. Apart from this, whatever conditions the trial court sets will have to be followed. After fulfillment of these conditions, his sentence will be temporarily suspended and he will be released on bail.
Will have to be present in the High Court during the hearing
The Supreme Court also made it clear that Manoj Kumar Gupta will have to appear regularly or be represented through his lawyer during the hearing of his appeal in the Patna High Court. Also, he should not try to postpone the hearing unnecessarily. Along with this, the Supreme Court made it clear that the things said in this order are only for the limited purpose of granting bail. The court has not commented on the substantive issues of the case or the merits of the appeal, so the High Court will hear the case independently.
