Six of 33 witnesses examined after more than four-and-a-half years in custody, and questions over seal and storage of the seized material: the Delhi High Court has granted Ugandan National NDPS Bail, with safeguards rather than indefinite detention for a foreign national.
New Delhi: Justice Sanjeev Narula has granted regular bail to John Seruwu, a Ugandan national facing a cocaine case brought by Customs [John Seruwu v. Customs].
Custody against a long trial
Over four-and-a-half years had passed in custody, and only six of 33 witnesses had been examined.
Relief did not rest on detention alone. Paragraph 10 identified seal and storage discrepancies that supported the statutory bail assessment.
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Customs’ case and the defence
Customs alleged recovery of 1,088 grams of cocaine and opposed bail under Section 37 of the NDPS Act. The defence challenged the custody and seizure procedures.
Terms of release
The Court required a Rs 50,000 bond with two matching sureties, verified Delhi residence, passport surrender and FRRO registration. Travel restrictions and monthly police reporting also apply. After sufficient efforts, the trial court may relax the two-surety requirement by a reasoned order.
The observations are provisional; guilt remains for trial.
Case: John Seruwu v. Customs
Number: BAIL APPLN. 3387/2026
Court: Delhi High Court
Bench: Justice Sanjeev Narula
Date: November 2, 2026
Outcome: Regular bail granted.