ISHFAQ MUGAL @ ASHFAQ AHMED vs STATE OF PUNJAB — CRM-M/11418/2026

Case Summary: CRM-M No. 11418/2026 The High Court of Punjab and Haryana granted bail to Ishfaq Mugal (alias Ashfaq Ahmed) in a drug trafficking case under NDPS Act sections 21, 27-A, 29, and IPC section 201. Although the petitioner's earlier bail plea was dismissed in July 2025, Justice Manisha Batra allowed the second petition, emphasizing that prolonged incarceration (approximately 1 year 11 months 12 days) coupled with slow trial progress (only 3 of 30 prosecution witnesses examined) warranted bail consideration despite serious charges involving heroin recovery and Rs. 3 lakhs drug money. The court held that constitutional protections under Article 21 override Section 37 NDPS restrictions when detention becomes unduly prolonged, citing Supreme Court precedents favoring bail over jail. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.