Supreme Court tightens bail for foreign nationals in commercial NDPS cases: mandatory passport deposit, two sureties
The court directed that the process of verification of sureties shall be done within 3 days, and the verification report shall be placed before the trial court prior to the release of the accused on bail.
The Supreme Court on Monday tightened the bail standards for foreign nationals caught with large amounts of drugs, mandating the deposit of passports and two sureties, and introducing new procedural safeguards. The court ruled that passport deposit and two sureties are now required for such cases, and directed the creation of a central database for all relevant information.
The court also suggested a slew of reforms to speed up trials for foreign nationals in Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) cases. The bench emphasized the need for stringent measures to combat drug trafficking by foreign nationals, including travel restrictions and departmental inquiries into fake sureties. The court directed the Ministry of Law and Justice, along with the National Informatics Centre, to create a centralized database for all individuals involved in NDPS cases, both accused and those providing surety.
The court also directed trial courts to impose travel restrictions on accused foreign nationals and make it mandatory for them to furnish two sureties instead of one. The court further directed the Union government to consider the concept of professional sureties and create a Surety Information Management System (SIMS) across all states for effective surety management.
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