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The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Delhi police and Jail Authorities in a Habeas Corpus petition of Ritik Bajaj, who was repatriated from the UAE on December 23. He is an accused in the drug haul case allegedly linked with international drug cartel.
It is alleged that his judicial custody beyond January 23 is illegal, as no such application for extension of Judicial custody was filed by the Delhi police. A direction has been sought for his production before the court and his immediate release, as he has been in illegal custody since January 24, 2026. Division bench of justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja issued notice to the Delhi Police and jail authorities and sought a response. The matter has been listed for hearing on January 29. Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Akhand Pratap Singh appeared for the Delhi police. Advocate Prabhav Ralli, who appeared for Ritik Bajaj, submitted that the judicial custody of the petitioner is illegal and arbitrary, as it can not be extended without the filing of an application by Delhi. In this case, no such application was filed by the Delhi Police during the Republic Day arrangements. It is stated that Ritik Bajaj was illegally arrested on December 23, 2025, produced before the Special Judge, NDPS, Tis Hazari Courts, Delhi, and illegally remanded to Police Custody on 23.12.2025, and subsequently to Judicial Custody on December 26, 2025 and January 9, 2026, till January 23, 2026. It is alleged that on December 23, no Application for extension of judicial remand was filed before the Special Judge, Tis Hazari Courts, Delhi, and, consequently, no judicial order was passed extending the judicial custody of the Petitioner beyond January 23, 2026. Bajaj has already challenged his arrest before the High Court, and a notice has been issued to the Delhi Police. Delhi's Tis Hazari Court on December 23, 2025, granted 3 days of police custody of Ritik Bajaj. While granting police custody, the court considered the volume of recovered illicit drug 563 Kg, Cocaine, Mephedrone and 40 Kg Hydroponic Thai Ghanja, as well as the fact that there are several accused persons. The court noted that the Delhi Police has already filed the main charge-sheet against several co-accused persons. Accused Ritik Bajaj was absconding and must have been aware of the registration of the present case, which was registered on October 2, 2024. Therefore, it is evident that the accused has not cooperated during the investigation. Delhi police had submitted that custody of accused is required to identify and trace other drug cartel and to bust the complete chain of illegal drug substance trafficking racket in Delhi/NCR and other states of India; to confront the accused with the data recovered from the seized mobiles phone of co-accused and to recover mobile phones and passport of present accused and to trace out all backward and forward linkages of drug smuggling racket. (ANI)
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