In Brief
The Supreme Court dismissed the State's appeal against a high court acquittal in a drug trafficking case. The accused was charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act with possessing 7.2 kg of opium. The Court upheld the acquittal, finding fatal procedural defects: the bulk contraband was never properly disposed of by the Magistrate as required by law; no formal application for disposal or Magistrate's order existed; the accused received no notice; and the confessional statement was recorded in police custody, not voluntarily. These omissions undermined the reliability of seized samples and the prosecution's case.
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