NDPS court grants month’s bail to accused citing bleeding after gender-reassignment surgery

The woman was arrested by the Airport Intelligence Unit (AIU) at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in connection with 3.46 kg of alleged ganja

MUMBAI: A 24-year-old woman arrested at Mumbai airport in a case involving 3.46 kg of alleged ganja has been granted one-month interim bail after she told a special NDPS court that she was suffering from profuse bleeding following gender-reassignment surgery. The court granted her temporary relief on medical grounds, while keeping her main bail plea pending.

NDPS court grants month’s bail to accused citing bleeding after gender-reassignment surgery

The woman was arrested by the Airport Intelligence Unit (AIU) at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in connection with the alleged seizure. Seeking interim bail, she told the court, through video conferencing, that she continued to suffer complications and bleeding despite undergoing treatment at JJ and KEM hospitals.

The prosecution had not filed a reply to the application.

Special Judge Arvind M Bhandarwar noted that the accused is a woman and that the alleged contraband falls under the intermediate quantity category under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act). The court also noted that her main bail application was yet to be decided.

After considering the medical condition placed on record, the court said that “in the interest of justice” she deserved interim bail on medical grounds.

As part of the bail conditions, she has been directed to surrender her passport, if not already seized, and not leave the court’s jurisdiction or India without prior permission. She must also surrender before the court when the one-month interim bail period ends.