Telangana HC Rejects Bail In Ganja Trafficking Case
"Jail is the rule and bail the exception”: Justice B.R. Madhusudhan Rao
HYDERABAD: The Telangana High Court has ruled that prolonged incarceration alone cannot be treated as a ground for bail in cases involving illicit trade or international trafficking of ganja and marijuana. The court said bail can be granted only if there are reasonable grounds to believe the accused are not guilty and unlikely to commit offences while on bail.
Justice B.R. Madhusudhan Rao reiterated that “jail is the rule and bail the exception” in NDPS cases, while dismissing regular bail petitions filed by Mohammed Rasheed and Mohammed Ibrahim. Both face charges under Sections 8(c), 20, 23, 27A, 28 and 29 of the NDPS Act.
Counsel for the petitioners argued they were first-time offenders with no criminal antecedents, and that only 6.75 kg and 6.85 kg of ganja were recovered from their trolley bags — below the 20-kg threshold for commercial quantity. They claimed the accused were mere carriers and that the prosecution case rested on statements recorded during DRI custody.
The court noted that the accused had earlier sought bail, which was dismissed on May 4, 2026. It held that successive bail applications without change in circumstances amounted to seeking a review of the earlier order, which was impermissible.
