The Calcutta High Court suspended an NDPS conviction, stressing the fundamental duty of raiding officers to correctly classify and separately preserve seized contraband, noting serious procedural lapses. A Division Bench of Justices Apurba Sinha Ray and Arijit Banerjee heard.
The Kerala High Court will hear appeals filed by Martin Antony and two other convicts challenging their conviction in the actress abduction and sexual assault case on February 4, 2026. The convicts were sentenced to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment by a trial court, and Antony has sought acquittal and suspension of sentence pending appeal.
The Supreme Court of India expressed that it was “thoroughly disappointed” with the Madhya Pradesh High Court for rejecting a bail plea without recording reasons. The top court suspended the seven-year sentence, saying High Courts must follow settled law and pass reasoned orders, especially in fixed-term sentence cases.
The Supreme Court criticized the Madhya Pradesh High Court for wrongly rejecting a convict’s bail request based on unfounded legal reasoning. The apex court granted bail, highlighting the delays in appeal hearings and stating that established legal principles should guide bail decisions, not arbitrary rules about serving part of a sentence.
