New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to an accused booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, observing that a case for grant of bail was made out in the facts and circumstances of the case.
A Bench of Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan allowed the appeal filed by Satyjeet Bhoi, challenging the July 14, 2025 order of the Chhattisgarh High Court which had rejected his plea for regular bail.
The case arises out of FIR No. 29/2024 registered at Singhoda Police Station in Mahasamund district, where the police recovered 150 kilograms of ganja from a truck. The appellant was arrested on March 25, 2024 and booked under Section 20(b) of the NDPS Act.
Senior Advocate Anindita Pujari, appearing for the appellant and instructed by Advocates Shaileshwar Yadav and Advocate-on-Record Rohit Kumar, submitted that the appellant was merely a passenger in the truck from which the contraband was recovered and that no material had been placed on record to establish any nexus between him and the seized substance. It was also submitted that the appellant had been in custody since March 25, 2024, and that the trial had not progressed substantially, with 15 witnesses yet to be examined.
The State opposed the plea, contending that the High Court was justified in declining bail and that releasing the appellant could frustrate the trial.
After considering the submissions and the material on record, the Supreme Court held that a case for grant of bail was made out and directed that the appellant be produced before the concerned trial court and released on bail subject to conditions deemed appropriate to ensure his presence during the proceedings.
The Court also directed the appellant to cooperate with the trial and not influence witnesses or tamper with evidence. Any violation of the conditions may lead to cancellation of bail.
With these directions, the criminal appeal was allowed.
Case details
Case Name: Satyjeet Bhoi v. State of Chhattisgarh & Another
Case Number: Criminal Appeal No(s). /2026 (Arising out of SLP (Crl.) No. 2401/2026)
Court: Supreme Court of India (Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction)
Bench: Hon’ble Mrs. Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Date of Order: March 16, 2026
Background & FIR Details
Originating FIR: FIR No. 29/2024 (Dated: March 25, 2024)
For the Petitioner (Appellant: Satyjeet Bhoi):
Dr. Anindita Pujari (Senior Advocate)
Mr. Shaileshwar Yadav (Advocate)
Mr. Rohit Kumar-I (Advocate-on-Record / AOR)
Ms. Radhika Mohapatra (Advocate)
Mr. Shailendra Singh (Advocate)
For the Respondent (State of Chhattisgarh):
Mr. Vikrant Singh Bais (Deputy Advocate General / DAG)
Mr. Vinayak Sharma (Advocate)
Mr. Ravinder Kumar Yadav (Advocate-on-Record / AOR)
