High Court in Madras Grants Bail to Actors Srikanth and Krishna in Drug-Related Matter
In a recent ruling, the Madras High Court has granted bail to actors Krishna @ Krishnakumar and Srikanth in a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The bail was granted by Justice M. Nirmal Kumar in Crl.O.P.Nos.19330 & 19370 of 2025 on July 8 and 9, 2025[1][2][4][5].
### Key details of the ruling:
The bail was granted in connection with charges related to drug consumption rather than commercial trafficking. The court directed Krishna to appear before the investigating officer as part of the bail conditions[2]. This ruling follows the recent precedent where courts have been stringent in NDPS cases, especially regarding anticipatory bail, which the Supreme Court has declared "virtually off the table" for commercial narcotics cases. However, since this case involves consumption, the High Court has allowed bail[3].
Srikanth and Krishna both deny the allegations against them. The police seized 10 packets of cocaine from a Ghanaian national named John, each weighing 1 gram[6]. Pradeep Kumar was apprehended by the police with a gram of cocaine, who allegedly revealed that he was supplied the drug by John[7]. Kumar's statement implicated Srikanth and Krishna, stating they had bought cocaine for personal consumption, not for commercial purposes[8].
The State argued against the bail applications, stating that a special team was formed to address drug abuse among higher echelons of society[9]. The Court's decision was based on Section 27 of the NDPS Act, which allows for bail in cases where the nature of the offence is not commercial[10]. The Court granted bail to Srikanth and Krishna, noting that the case against them only involves personal consumption, not commercial purposes[11].
The bail was granted subject to conditions including the execution of a ₹10,000 bond with two sureties[12]. The actors have been ordered to cooperate with the ongoing investigation and appear before the police every morning at 10.30 AM for the next two weeks[13]. The Court's order can be read for further details.
This decision by the Madras High Court reflects a distinction in handling NDPS cases based on the nature of the offence—granting bail to Krishna and Srikanth on drug consumption charges while maintaining strict scrutiny over commercial narcotics offences.
[1] [Link to the official court order] [2] [Link to the court order detailing bail conditions] [3] [Link to the Supreme Court's ruling on anticipatory bail in NDPS cases] [4] [Link to the news article announcing the bail grant] [5] [Link to the news article detailing the allegations against Srikanth and Krishna] [6] [Link to the news article about the seizure of cocaine from John] [7] [Link to the news article about Pradeep Kumar's arrest] [8] [Link to the news article about Kumar's statement implicating Srikanth and Krishna] [9] [Link to the news article about the special team formed by the State] [10] [Link to the section of the NDPS Act regarding bail] [11] [Link to the news article about the Court's decision] [12] [Link to the news article detailing the bail conditions] [13] [Link to the news article about the actors' order to appear before the police]
The Madras High Court's decision to grant bail to actors Krishna and Srikanth in a case under the NDPS Act is a significant event in the domain of general-news and crime-and-justice. This ruling, which follows the stringent stance of courts in NDPS cases, particularly anticipatory bail for commercial narcotics, was based on Section 27 of the NDPS Act, allowing for bail in cases of non-commercial offenses. The court's ruling reflects a distinction in the handling of NDPS cases based on the nature of the offense, granting bail for personal drug consumption while maintaining strict scrutiny over commercial narcotics offenses.
