Sheikh Irshad @ Monu v. State of Maharashtra, 2025
The Court balances the State’s interest in investigation and prosecution with the accused’s right to fair treatment under the law.
Judgement Details
Court
Supreme Court of India
Date of Decision
10 December 2025
Judges
Justice J.K. Maheshwari and Justice Vijay Bishnoi
Citation
Acts / Provisions
Facts of the Case
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The accused was named in a 2020 FIR registered at Gittikhadan Police Station, Nagpur, for possession of 2.728 kg of ganja, classified as an intermediate, non-commercial quantity under the NDPS Act.
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He spent approximately 1 year and 11 months in custody before the High Court granted bail in August 2022.
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The bail order included a condition requiring the accused to report to the local police station on the 1st and 16th of every month.
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In 2023, the State moved the High Court to cancel bail, alleging non-compliance with the reporting condition.
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The High Court accepted the plea and cancelled bail on October 9, 2025.
Issues
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Whether bail can be revoked solely because the accused failed to report to the police station after the investigation is complete?
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Whether police reporting conditions continue to apply once the trial has commenced and the accused is appearing regularly before the court?
Judgement
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The Supreme Court set aside the High Court order cancelling bail.
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The Court observed that after the investigation was completed and the chargesheet had been filed, the trial was ongoing, and the accused had been appearing regularly before the trial court.
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It held that non-compliance with police reporting conditions alone is not a sufficient ground to revoke bail.
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The Court directed that the accused shall continue on bail, provided he attends the trial court regularly unless exempted by a competent order.
Held
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Bail cannot be revoked merely for failing to comply with reporting conditions when the trial has commenced.
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Once the investigation is complete and chargesheet filed, attendance at the trial court is the primary requirement for maintaining bail.
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The Court emphasized that minor procedural non-compliance with reporting conditions should not override the accused’s right to continue on bail.
Analysis
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The judgment clarifies that bail conditions must be reasonable and context-specific, and cannot be enforced rigidly once the trial has begun.
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The Court balances the State’s interest in investigation and prosecution with the accused’s right to fair treatment under the law.
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It establishes that once trial commences, police reporting conditions are largely procedural and cannot justify cancellation of bail, provided the accused attends court as required.
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The ruling reinforces the principle that bail is a right, not a privilege, and procedural non-compliance must be considered in context.