A single bench of Justice Urmila Joshi-Phalke in the order passed on November 27 said even a prisoner is entitled to dignity, and delivering a child in prison may have consequences.
The court ordered Surbhi Soni to be released on a temporary bail for six months. Soni was arrested in April 2024 under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The Gondia Railway Security Force had conducted a raid in a train and had recovered narcotic substances from five persons, including Soni.
As per the prosecution, it had seized 33 kilograms of ganja, a narcotic substance, from the accused, of which seven kilograms were found in Soni’s luggage.
At the time of her arrest, Soni was two months pregnant. She moved the high court seeking bail on humanitarian grounds so that she can deliver her baby outside prison.
The prosecution opposed her plea claiming that commercial quantity contraband was seized from the accused and said due care would be taken in the prison for the delivery.