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Judgment
The petitioners/Accused Nos.1 to 3 have filed this petition seeking to enlarge them on bail.
The brief facts of the case are that the prosecution received credible information on 25.08.2026 at 05:30 AM. The police along with their staff and two mediators proceeded to Chencharlapalli Village, Lakkireddipalli Mandal, and searching the vehicles at around 05:45 AM, a car bearing registration No.AP 07 EF 3670 was coming from Gollapalli Village towards Lakkireddipalli. On seeing the police, the driver stopped the car at some distance, and a few persons in the car got down and tried to escape. The police apprehended the car along with five persons. On examining the car, they found 112 red sanders logs. The red sanders logs were seized and five persons were arrested. Based on the report of the Sub-Inspector of Police, a crime was registered for the offences punishable under Sections 20(1)(e) and (d) and Section 29 of the A.P. Sandalwood and Red Sanders Wood Transit Rules, 1969, and Rules 3 and 4 of the PDPP Act, 1984.
The petitioners contend that they are nowhere connected with the alleged offence. The allegations levelled against them are not true and they have been wrongly arrayed as accused. The petitioners were taken into custody out of suspicion and are in judicial remand.
As far as Accused No.1 is concerned, he is one of the accused in similar offence in the year 2019, whereas Accused Nos.2 and 3 have no such antecedents relating to similar offences. Accused Nos.4 and 5 have already been granted bail by this Court. Hence, Accused Nos.1 to 3 have filed the present petition seeking bail.
Heard Sri D Purna Chandra Reddy, learned counsel for the petitioners and Sri Neelothpal Ganji, learned Assistant Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondent-State.
Learned counsel for the petitioners has placed a copy of the order dated 07.10.2026 passed by this Court in Crl.P.Nos.8367 and 8497 of 2026, wherein all the accused filed petitions seeking to enlarge them on bail. The said petitions were taken up for consideration and Crl.P.No.8367 of 2026 was allowed in part, granting bail to Accused Nos.4 and 5, while the relief sought by accused Nos.1 to 3 were rejected.
This Court while disposing of the said petitions, observed that the investigation against Accused Nos.1 to 3 is pending with regard to their alleged role played by them. Accused No.2 is the owner of the vehicle to whom the contraband was allegedly sold. Accused Nos.1 and 3 have similar criminal antecedents.
The present petition is the second application filed subsequent to the disposal of the above-mentioned petitions. Changed circumstances of the investigation has been reported, as six witnesses are yet to be examined.
Learned Assistant Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondent-State submitted that the investigation is still pending.
Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, it is observed that the specific allegation against Accused No.2 is that the contraband was allegedly sold to him. Whereas, the allegations against Accused Nos.1 and 3 are that they assisted in selling the red sanders logs, Accused No.1 is the driver of the vehicle.
This Court finds that, some more witnesses are yet to be examined. The investigation is not completed. But, the allegations against Accused Nos.1 and 3 are limited to their alleged assistance, whereas the main allegation is against Accused No.2.
Accused Nos.1 to 3 have been in judicial remand since 25.08.2026, completed for more than 50 days in custody. Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, length of custody, the nature and gravity of allegations levelled against the Petitioner Nos. 1 & 3/Accused Nos.1 & 3, that the Accused Nos.1 & 3 are residents of the local districts, this Court is inclined to enlarge the Petitioner Nos. 1 & 3/Accused Nos.1 & 3 on bail.
In the result, the Criminal Petition is allowed in part with the following conditions:
The Petitioner Nos. 1 & 3/Accused Nos.1 & 3 shall be enlarged on bail subject to them executing a bond for a sum of Rs.25,000/- (Rupees Twenty Five Thousand only) each with two sureties each for the like sum each to the satisfaction of the learned Judicial Magistrate of First Class for Special Court of Trial Cases of Red Sanders Smuggling, Tirupati.
The Petitioner Nos. 1 & 3/Accused Nos.1 & 3 shall appear before the Station House Officer concerned, on every Saturday in between 10:00 am and 05:00 pm, till filing of the Charge Sheet.
The Petitioner Nos. 1 & 3/Accused Nos.1 & 3 shall not leave the limits of the Andhra Pradesh without prior permission from the Station House Officer concerned.
The Petitioner Nos. 1 & 3/Accused Nos.1 & 3 shall not commit or indulge in commission of any offence in future.
The Petitioner Nos. 1 & 3/Accused Nos.1 & 3 shall cooperate with the Investigating Officer in further investigation of the case and shall make themselves available for further investigation by the Investigating Officer as and when required.
The Petitioner Nos. 1 & 3/Accused Nos.1 & 3 shall not, directly or indirectly, make any inducement, threat or promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him/her from disclosing such facts to the Court.
The relief against Accused No.2 is hereby dismissed.