The Supreme Court has said that if there is a conflict between the country’s sovereignty and personal liberty, the former will take priority, especially in cases involving narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. The court made the remarks while setting aside a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that had granted bail to a man accused of operating a drug-trafficking network from inside a jail using mobile phones.
The apex court said that in this case, there are antecedents involving the commission of offences of the very same nature under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and therefore, it cannot be said that the accused is not likely to commit such an offence while on bail.
