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Mohali: NIA court rejects bail plea of narco-terror case accused
Special judge, NIA, Punjab, Dinesh Kumar Wadhwa dismissed the plea, holding that Gagandeep had failed to show any change in circumstances since his earlier bail application was rejected
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A special NIA court in Mohali has rejected the second bail application of Gagandeep Singh alias Gagan Jarmanjit Singh alias Nona, accused in a case involving alleged terror links, heroin smuggling and investment of drug proceeds in property.
Special judge, NIA, Punjab, Dinesh Kumar Wadhwa dismissed the plea, holding that Gagandeep had failed to show any change in circumstances since his earlier bail application was rejected. The court also held that the material on record made out a prima facie case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Gagandeep, 34, a resident of Havelian village in Amritsar district, has been in custody since May 9, 2020. He is facing charges under Sections 120-B, 419, 471 and 201 of the IPC, provisions of the NDPS Act and Sections 17, 18 and 20 of the UAPA.
According to the NIA, police arrested him and his brother Ranjeet Singh alias Cheeta at a hideout in Sirsa, Haryana, after the seizure of 532 kg heroin concealed in imported rock salt at the Attari border in June 2019.
The agency alleged that Gagandeep was part of a terrorist gang and conspired with Ranjeet Singh and Iqbal Singh alias Shera, along with Hizbul Mujahideen handlers and terrorists based in Pakistan. It alleged that he collected and sold smuggled heroin and invested the proceeds in movable and immovable properties.
The NIA also alleged that Gagandeep used the identity Jarmanjeet Singh while living in Hoshiarpur after jumping bail in an earlier NDPS case. The agency claimed that he and Ranjeet invested ₹1.41 crore in land, including ₹1.09 crore paid in cash, with the property purchased in the name of Gagandeep’s wife.
Seeking bail, Gagandeep’s counsel argued that he was not named in the original FIR and that police had not recovered heroin, weapons or other incriminating material from his possession. The counsel also cited his more than six years of incarceration, the delay in trial and bail granted to several co-accused.
The NIA opposed the plea, pointing out that Gagandeep’s first bail application was dismissed on merits in August 2024 and the Punjab and Haryana high court rejected his appeal in February 2026.
The court said a successive bail plea must show a substantial change in circumstances. It found no such change in the present application.
The court also held that the UAPA’s Section 43-D(5) bar applied because the material indicated a prima facie case. It said long incarceration and trial delay could not by themselves justify bail before the trial court. The court also cited concerns that Gagandeep could flee, influence witnesses or tamper with evidence if released.
