DESALEGN ATNAFU ABEBA vs NARCOTICS CONTROL BUREAU

Judgment text excerpt

$~77 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI % Date of Decision: 01.04.2026 + BAIL APPLN. 4445/2025 & CRL.M.(BAIL) 2315/2025 DESALEGN ATNAFU ABEBE .....Petitioner Through: Ms. Arshiya Ghose, Advocate. versus NARCOTICS CONTROL BUREAU .....Respondent Through: Mr. Arun Khatri, SSC with Ms. Shelly Dixit, Advocate. CORAM: JUSTICE GIRISH KATHPALIA J U D G M E N T (ORAL) 1. The accused/applicant seeks regular bail in case Crime No. VIII/74/DZU/2022 of Police Station NCB DZU, RK Puram for offence under Section 8/21/23/29 NDPS Act. 1.1 This bail application came up for the first hearing on 20.11.2025 before the predecessor bench and thereafter continued getting adjourned before different benches. Along with 179 such old pending bail applications, this application also was transferred to this bench. 1.2 Today is the first hearing before me. BAIL APPLN. 4445/2025 Page 1 of 4 pages Digitally signed by GIRISH KATHPALIA DN: c=IN, o=HIGH COURT OF DELHI, GIRISH 2.5.4.20=8401dd889b27a77b2f65ffffe4afec4 5569af3962c6fb4835d435f97626cacca, Signature Not Verified ou=HIGH COURT OF DELHI,CID - 7047638, KATHPALIA postalCode=110003, st=Delhi, serialNumber=d3e86796451ec45c07b5d15 570996b40f80cbd2eee60402c487965ff801e 26fa, cn=GIRISH KATHPALIA Date: 2026.04.01 17:36:49 -07'00' Digitally Signed By:RAHUL YADAV Signing Date:01.04.2026 17:59:56 2. I have heard learned counsel for accused/applicant as well as learned prosecutor on behalf of NCB. Learned counsel for accused/applicant claims parity on the ground that co-accused Yesak Angsom was granted bail in similar circumstances in Bail Application No. 1100/2025, decided by this court on 28.07.2025. Learned counsel for NCB submits that the present case stands on different footing, so parity is not applicable here. 3. Broadly speaking, the case set