CHENNAI: The Madras High Court rejected a bail petition of an Andhra Pradesh man booked on charges of possessing contraband carrying 24 kgs of Ganja inside the premises of Chennai Central railway station in 2019. Justice GK Ilanthiraiyan dismissed the criminal original petition filed by Poorna Chandra Bangi.

The petitioner sought bail on the grounds that the prosecution did not inform him of the charges framed against him. He also stated that he does not know Tamil was unaware of the statement of his translator. He further added that there was no progress in his case for the last two years and was thus still in prison.

However, the judge rejected the petition observing that the procedural lapses as pointed out by the petitioner’s counsel have to be considered only before the trial court. “The petitioner was in possession of 24 kg of ‘ganja’, which is commercial quantity. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, this Court is not inclined to grant bail to the petitioner. Accordingly, this criminal original petition is dismissed,” the judge held.

Meanwhile, Additional Public Prosecutor A Damodaran submitted that the delay in the trial was only due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recording the submissions, the judge directed the additional NDPS Court-I to complete the trial within a period of three months

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