{
  "id": 11909987,
  "title": "Narcotic drug offences: Bail can be denied even after one year of incarceration, says Madras HC",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/narcotic-drug-offences-bail-can-be-denied-even-after-one-year-of",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-04T11:01:33.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/narcotic-drug-offences-bail-can-be-denied-even-after-one-year-of-incarceration-says-madras-hc/article71543270.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a case involving possession of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, the Madras High Court has ruled that bail can be denied even after one year of incarceration if there are reasonable grounds to believe the accused could be guilty of the offence. Justice N. Ramesh emphasized that the right to a speedy trial must be considered alongside Section 37 of the NDPS Act, which imposes restrictions on granting bail to those arrested under the Act. The case involved Muneer Sheik, who was arrested along with his co-accused Javeed in Tiruvallur district on October 14, 2025, for possessing 55 grams of methamphetamine, a stimulant affecting the central nervous system. The accused claimed they had purchased 45 grams from a Nigerian national and the remaining 10 grams from an accused who had absconded from Mumbai. Forensic tests confirmed the substance as methamphetamine. Any quantity over 50 grams is considered a 'commercial quantity' under the NDPS Act, resulting in a minimum sentence of 10 years in rigorous imprisonment, with the possibility of extending it to 20 years under Section 22(c). The petitioner's lawyer requested bail due to the lengthy incarceration, but the Government Advocate, M.M.I. Khaleel, strongly opposed the plea, citing that the police had already filed a charge sheet against the accused before a Chennai special court handling NDPS Act cases. The court noted that Section 37 of the NDPS Act specifies that every offence punishable under the Act is cognizable, and no person accused of such an offence should be released on bail unless a public prosecutor has been given an opportunity to hear. Furthermore, Section 37(1)(b)(ii) states that bail should not be granted unless the court is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe the petitioner is not guilty and is not likely to commit further offences while on bail. Given the petitioner's one-year incarceration, the court determined that it did not outweigh the restrictions under Section 37 of the NDPS Act and denied the bail plea.",
  "summary": "Justice N. Ramesh said the long period of judicial custody will not outweigh the bar imposed on granting bail under Section 37 of the NDPS Act",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}