In Brief
A police party recovered charas (cannabis resin) from appellants near Ruara Bridge in Himachal Pradesh and registered an FIR under Section 20 of the NDPS Act, 1985. The Trial Court acquitted the appellants, finding that the FSL report did not confirm the substance was cannabis-derived charas, and the police failed to offer the option to be searched before a Magistrate. The High Court reversed this acquittal and imposed ten years' rigorous imprisonment. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal, holding that when addressing an appeal against acquittal, the appellate court must first examine whether the Trial Court's reasons for acquittal are sustainable before independent reappraisal. The Court found the Trial Court's assessment correct and restored the acquittal.
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