POVAR GANAPATHI @ GANESH Vs. STATE OF A.P.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These Criminal Petitions are filed seeking to enlarge the petitioners on bail in respective cases registered in different police stations for the offence punishable under Sec. 8(c) read with Sec. 20(b)(ii)(c) of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (for brevity the Act ).

(2.) The issue involved in these petitions is that the respondent-State, having violated the procedure laid down in the Act, has registered the cases against the petitioners. It is averred in the petitions that Sections 41, 42 and 43 of the Act in general and Sec. 50 of the Act in particular have not been followed by the investigating officer. In all the cases, while complying with Sec. 50 of the Act, an officer of the raiding party came forward and claimed to be Gazetted Officer as required under Sec. 50 of the Act.

(3.) Since the issue in all the petitions is the same, the learned counsel for the petitioners have argued the matter in Crl.P.No.14971 of 2016 at length and agreed that the issue raised in all these petitions may be decided together. Accordingly, these Criminal Petitions are taken up for disposal by this Common Order.