In Brief
A man convicted of possessing charas (cannabis resin) appealed the High Court's reversal of his acquittal. The Trial Court had acquitted him for procedural violations; the High Court reinstated conviction, finding the evidence properly sealed and independent witnesses acceptable. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction. While endorsing that investigators should not also be informants (following Mohan Lal), the Court held this principle could not apply retrospectively to prosecutions commenced before that rule was established. The Court applied prospective overruling to balance accused rights with societal interest in prosecuting offenders, dismissing the appeal.
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