#family hardship

The Rajasthan High Court granted 45-day interim bail to an accused under the NDPS Act because he is the only adult male caregiver for his father with terminal lymphoproliferative cancer, and no other family member can provide daily medical support. This ruling reinforces Article 21’s humanitarian dimension in bail jurisprudence, setting a precedent for caregivers in non-heinous drug cases where family dependency is absolute and irreplaceable.

The Bombay High Court set aside the rejection of a 190-day delay in filing a co-operative appeal, holding that the petitioner’s caregiving burden during his father’s terminal illness and death constituted a valid, humanely understandable reason for the delay. This ruling reinforces that natural justice requires courts to consider personal hardship when applying rigid timelines under cooperative law, protecting the substantive right to appeal for vulnerable litigants.