In Brief
The appellant was arrested with her husband on 21 September 2019 during transport of 23.5 kg of ganja. Police seized the contraband and drew samples at the spot without an independent witness or Magistrate present. The samples were analysed and confirmed to contain cannabinoids. Both were convicted of NDPS offences and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, upheld by the High Court. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, holding that minor procedural irregularities—absence of independent witnesses, Section 52-A non-compliance, and minor sample weight loss—do not vitiate conviction where official witnesses are consistent and chain of custody is intact. Statutory minimum sentence cannot be reduced despite mitigating personal circumstances; only executive remission remains available.
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