Authority: High Court of Gujarat at Ahmedabad
Order Date: 12/08/2026
Case Overview
- Parties: Applicant Akash Parshottambhai Patel vs. Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Ahmedabad Zonal Unit & others (Union of India, State).
- Proceedings: Application filed under Section 439 of the Indian Penal Code seeking regular bail in FIR No. D/RI/AZU/GI-02/ENQ-01/NDPS/2024, Special NDPS Case No. 46 of 2024 pending before the Special Court (NDPS) Ahmedabad.
- Offences Charged: Violations of Sections 22, 23, 24, 25, 27‑A, 28 & 29 read with Section 8(c) of the NDPS Act, 1985.
- Arrest & Custody: Patel arrested on 18‑01‑2024; remained in custody for more than two years and six months; charge not yet framed by the trial court.
- Investigation Timeline: Investigation concluded; complaint lodged by the department on 11‑07‑2024.
- Allegations by Prosecution:
- Patel held a 20% shareholding in Megashri Agri Pharma Chemical Private Limited, having invested Rs 25 lakhs.
- The company possessed a licence to manufacture Hydroxylimine Hydrochloride, a precursor for ketamine, but allegedly manufactured ketamine for export to Thailand.
- A shipment dispatched by the company to Bangkok was intercepted and found to contain ketamine, a contraband substance.
- Patel regularly visited the factory, was present when the shipment was packed, attended meetings discussing the export modus operandi, and received a sizeable cash amount in his bank account from 03‑04‑2021 to 30‑11‑2023.
- Legal Considerations: The quantity of ketamine involved is described as a commercial quantity, invoking the rigours of Section 37 of the NDPS Act.
Final Outcome
- The Court held that no case for exercising discretion in favour of the applicant was made out. Consequently, the bail application was dismissed and regular bail was not granted.
Topics: Criminal Law, Drug Trafficking