In Brief
M. Ravindran, arrested in a narcotics case, filed a bail application after the statutory period for police custody expired. The investigating agency subsequently filed an additional complaint to avoid granting bail. The Supreme Court held that an accused's indefeasible constitutional right to bail accrues upon filing the application, regardless of subsequent procedural maneuvers by the investigating agency. The Court ruled that detention beyond the statutory period without charge-sheet filing violates Article 21. The High Court's refusal to grant bail was set aside and the appeal was allowed, affirming that constitutional protections against unlawful detention cannot be defeated by investigative tactics.
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