ATNDPS Lawyer BangaloreAnkur Tripathi, Advocate
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Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act ยท Bengaluru

NDPS Lawyerin Bangalore.

Practice in NDPS Act matters: bail, Section 67 notices and statements, scrutiny of seizure and search procedure, and defence before the Special Court and the High Court of Karnataka.

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Urgent matter? Message on WhatsApp with the key details. Messages are read personally and answered as soon as practicable.

  • Section 37 bail
  • Section 50
  • Section 52A
  • Section 67
  • Special Court
  • High Court
Ankur Tripathi, Advocate, Bengaluru
Ankur TripathiAdvocate · Bengaluru

Quick enquiry

Tell me about your matter

Send a short summary and I will revert on WhatsApp, phone or email. Documents can follow once we have spoken.

Urgent matter (arrest, notice, or a hearing listed shortly)? Send the key details on WhatsApp or call +91 63622 48179.

Opens WhatsApp or your email app with the message ready to send. Nothing is stored on this website, and contacting me does not by itself create an advocate-client relationship.

Practice areas

NDPS matters, from first notice to trial

NDPS cases turn on strict procedure. Each stage, from search and seizure to sampling and statements, is examined for compliance.

Arrest, bail and custody

01

Bail in NDPS cases

Regular and anticipatory bail in NDPS matters, including cases governed by the twin conditions of Section 37.

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Arrest, remand and rights at the time of arrest

Advice on rights during arrest and remand in NDPS cases, including grounds of arrest, production before a Magistrate and default bail.

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Preventive detention under the PIT-NDPS Act

Challenges to preventive detention orders under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988.

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Investigation and procedure

04

Section 67 notices, summons and statements

Advice for persons summoned by NDPS officers under Section 67, and on the legal status of statements recorded during investigation.

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Search, seizure and sampling review

Scrutiny of how a search, seizure, inventory and sampling were carried out under the NDPS Act, which often decides the case.

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Quantity classification: small, intermediate and commercial

How the quantity of a substance is classified, weighed and tested, and why it decides bail and sentence.

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Vehicle seizure, confiscation and property forfeiture

Release of seized vehicles, challenges to confiscation, and defence against forfeiture of property under the NDPS Act.

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Courier, parcel and airport seizures

Defence in cases arising from seized parcels, courier consignments and airport searches, including controlled delivery.

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Offences and defences

09

Consumption cases and treatment

Cases of personal consumption under the NDPS Act, which carry lesser punishment, and the provisions on treatment and rehabilitation.

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Psychotropic substances and pharmaceutical cases

Defence of pharmacists, distributors and individuals in cases involving psychotropic substances and prescription medicines.

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Conspiracy, abetment and co-accused statements

Defence in cases built on conspiracy, abetment and statements of co-accused under the NDPS Act.

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Trial and appeals

12

Trial defence and High Court petitions

Defence before the Special Court, and petitions before the High Court of Karnataka to challenge proceedings or secure protection.

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Appeals and revisions in NDPS cases

Appeals against conviction and sentence under the NDPS Act, and challenges to orders at the pre-trial stage.

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Forums

Forums for NDPS matters

Matters are filed and argued before the forums below. The office is on Mission Road in central Bengaluru.

Special Court for NDPS cases, Bengaluru

Bail applications and trials under the NDPS Act, including cases of commercial quantity.

Magistrates

Production after arrest, remand hearings and applications relating to custody.

High Court of Karnataka

Bail and anticipatory bail, quashing petitions, habeas corpus against PIT-NDPS orders, and appeals.

Competent Authority and Appellate Tribunal

Proceedings for forfeiture of illegally acquired property under the NDPS Act.

Supreme Court of India

Special leave petitions in NDPS matters, where the case warrants.

Approach

How matters are approached

01

Procedure is the case

Search, seizure, sampling and inventory must follow the Act. Many NDPS defences are found in how the case was built, not only in what was recovered.

02

Early, careful steps

What is said and signed at the first stage can matter for years. Early advice on rights, notices and statements is central.

03

Realistic advice on bail

The bail standard depends on the quantity involved. Clients are told clearly where they stand and what the likely path is.

Process

How we work

Three steps, in plain terms, from the first message to the hearing.

01

Understand

Share the facts and the documents you hold, by WhatsApp, phone or at the office on Mission Road. You get a frank first view of your options, the risks and the likely timeline.

02

Plan

A clear strategy on forum, remedy, documents needed, timelines and fees, agreed with you before anything is filed.

03

Act

Drafting, filing and appearance before the court or tribunal, with regular updates, and a view on settlement wherever it makes sense.

Your advocate

Ankur Tripathi, Advocate

Ankur Tripathi is a Bengaluru advocate. His litigation practice includes criminal matters before trial courts and the High Court of Karnataka, including proceedings under the NDPS Act.

Read the full profile →

  • ProfessionAdvocate, Bengaluru
  • EducationBBA LLB, Symbiosis Law School, Pune
  • ForumsHigh Court of Karnataka, Special Courts, Sessions and Magistrate courts

Latest

NDPS insights

Plain-language explainers on the NDPS Act and its procedure, published regularly.

Bail

Section 37 of the NDPS Act: why bail is harder in commercial-quantity cases

How the twin conditions of Section 37 NDPS work, which cases they cover, and what that means for a bail application.

26 October 2026 · 3 min readSearch and seizure

Section 50 of the NDPS Act: the right to be searched before a Gazetted Officer or Magistrate

What Section 50 of the NDPS Act requires before a personal search, and how courts have treated non-compliance.

26 October 2026 · 2 min readStatements and notices

Statements under Section 67 of the NDPS Act: are they admissible?

What Section 67 of the NDPS Act allows, and what the Supreme Court held in Tofan Singh about statements recorded by NDPS officers.

26 October 2026 · 2 min read

All articles

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Why is bail harder in some NDPS cases?
Section 37 of the NDPS Act applies twin conditions in cases involving commercial quantity and certain other offences. The court must give the Public Prosecutor a chance to oppose, and must be satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe the accused is not guilty and is not likely to commit an offence while on bail.
What is Section 50 of the NDPS Act?
Section 50 applies when an officer is about to search a person. The person has the right to be taken before the nearest Gazetted Officer or Magistrate, and the officer must inform the person of that right. Courts treat compliance as mandatory for personal searches.
I received a Section 67 notice. What should I do?
Take legal advice before you appear or sign anything. A notice or summons can start an investigation, and statements made at this stage can have consequences. Keep a copy of the notice and note the date and time of any questioning.
Is a Section 67 statement admissible as a confession?
In Tofan Singh v. State of Tamil Nadu (2020), a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court held that a confessional statement made to an NDPS officer is not admissible as a confession in the trial of an NDPS offence.
What decides whether a quantity is small, intermediate or commercial?
The quantities are fixed by government notification, and they differ by substance. The weight of the pure drug or the whole mixture can matter, depending on the substance and the law. The classification should be checked early because it governs bail and sentence.
Which court tries NDPS cases in Bangalore?
NDPS offences are tried by Special Courts designated under the Act. Bail and other petitions may be heard by the Special Court, the Sessions Court or the High Court of Karnataka, depending on the stage.
What should I do if I am arrested in an NDPS case?
Ask for the grounds of arrest in writing, do not sign blank or unread papers, ask for a medical examination, and contact an advocate at once. You must be produced before a Magistrate within 24 hours.
Is anticipatory bail possible in an NDPS case?
In cases covered by Section 37, which include offences involving commercial quantity, the twin conditions make anticipatory bail difficult. In other cases, the ordinary law on anticipatory bail applies.
What is default bail under the NDPS Act?
For offences covered by Section 36A(4), including those involving commercial quantity, the investigation period is 180 days instead of 90, and the court can extend it up to one year on the Public Prosecutor's report. If the charge-sheet is not filed in time, the accused is entitled to default bail.
What is Section 52A of the NDPS Act?
It governs the inventory, photography and sampling of seized substances before a Magistrate. The Supreme Court has addressed compliance in Union of India v. Mohanlal (2016) and Mohanlal v. State of Punjab (2018).
Can a seized vehicle be released before the trial ends?
In many cases the court can release it on interim custody on a bond. Confiscation is considered at the end of the trial, and an owner who had no knowledge or connivance can contest it.
What documents should I bring to the first meeting?
The FIR, the seizure memo, the notice or summons if any, the remand order and the arrest memo, and the details of the persons named.
Is a positive drug test enough to convict?
A test can be evidence of consumption, but the prosecution must still prove the offence through proper procedure. Timing, sampling and the laboratory's methods are all examined.
How long does an NDPS trial take?
It depends on the Special Court's cause list and the number of witnesses. Meanwhile, bail is the key issue, so it is often addressed first.

Quick enquiry

Speak to Ankur Tripathi

Share a short summary of your matter and the documents you hold. Messages are read personally.

Urgent matter (arrest, notice, or a hearing listed shortly)? Send the key details on WhatsApp or call +91 63622 48179.

Opens WhatsApp or your email app with the message ready to send. Nothing is stored on this website, and contacting me does not by itself create an advocate-client relationship.

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