In Brief
The State of Haryana appealed against the High Court's acquittal of Dalbir Singh, who was convicted by a trial court for selling poppy husk and possession of 137 kg of contraband under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, upholding the acquittal. The Court found critical deficiencies: only official police witnesses testified with no independent corroboration; the record did not establish who owned the contraband or where it originated; and material discrepancies existed in documentation, including signatures made with different pens. These gaps created reasonable doubt, warranting acquittal and benefit of the doubt to the accused.
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