When an FIR is registered, the police call you in, or someone in your family is arrested, the first days matter. Decisions about anticipatory bail, regular bail and what to say to the police are made quickly, and they shape everything that follows.
Prodigy Legal's Jammu office handles criminal matters before the courts at Janipur — the Magistrates' courts, the Court of Session and the special NDPS and POCSO courts — and before the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh at Jammu.
Matters we handle
- Anticipatory bail (Section 482 BNSS; earlier Section 438 CrPC).
- Regular bail before the Magistrate, the Court of Session and the High Court (Sections 480 and 483 BNSS).
- Default (statutory) bail where the charge-sheet is not filed in time (Section 187 BNSS).
- NDPS Act cases, including bail and challenges to preventive detention.
- Quashing of FIRs and proceedings before the High Court (Section 528 BNSS; earlier Section 482 CrPC).
- Matrimonial criminal cases (Section 85 BNS; earlier Section 498A IPC), cheating and fraud, cyber-crime and POCSO matters.
- Trials, criminal appeals, revisions and suspension of sentence.
Where criminal cases are heard in Jammu
Most criminal cases in Jammu district begin before a Judicial Magistrate at the Judicial Complex, Janipur. Serious offences are tried by the Court of Session, and NDPS and POCSO cases go to designated special courts. Bail in the more serious cases is decided by the Sessions Court and, after that, by the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh at Jammu, which also sits at Janipur.
Cases from Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi, Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban begin before the courts of those districts. Bail applications that are refused there, petitions to quash FIRs, and appeals all come to the High Court at Jammu.
Where to start
Advocates at the Jammu office
Criminal and bail matters at the Jammu office are handled by the following advocates, enrolled with the Bar Council of Jammu & Kashmir.
Avish Sharma
Advocate · Enrolment No. JK/215/2014
Akarshan Magotra
Advocate · Enrolment No. JK/862/2024
Mehak Thappa
Advocate · Enrolment No. JK/1253/2023
Frequently asked questions
An FIR has been registered against me in Jammu. What should I do first?
Get a copy of the FIR — its number, year and police station — and have a lawyer read it. Whether to seek anticipatory bail depends on the sections invoked and on whether arrest is likely. Do not ignore a notice from the police; failing to comply with a notice can itself lead to arrest.
Which court decides bail in Jammu?
For bailable offences, bail is a right and is given by the police or the Magistrate. For non-bailable offences, the Magistrate, the Court of Session or the High Court decides, depending on the seriousness of the offence. Anticipatory bail is decided by the Court of Session or the High Court.
Can the family of an arrested person engage a lawyer?
Yes. Family members usually make the first contact. The police must inform a relative or friend of the arrest, and the arrested person must be produced before a Magistrate within 24 hours.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-15. This page gives general information about criminal procedure in Jammu and Kashmir. It is not legal advice, and every case turns on its own facts. Statutory references are to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), with the earlier CrPC/IPC provisions in brackets where helpful.