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ARAVIND KUMAR, SANDEEP MEHTA
Nadeem Ahamed – Appellant
Versus
State of West Bengal – Respondent
| Table of Content |
|---|
| 1. factual overview of the seizure and arrest. (Para 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10) |
| 2. trial court proceedings and appeal delays. (Para 11 , 12 , 13 , 14) |
| 3. arguments raised by the accused-appellant. (Para 15 , 16 , 17) |
| 4. court's critical analysis of procedural compliance. (Para 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32) |
| 5. court's decision to acquit the accused-appellant. (Para 33 , 34 , 35) |
JUDGMENT
Mehta, J.
1. Heard.
2. Leave granted.
3. The accused-appellant Nadeem Ahamed [Hereinafter, referred to as ‘accused-appellant’] has approached this Court, through these appeals by special leave, assailing the common judgement dated 17th January, 2025, passed by the Division Bench of High Court of judicature at Calcutta [Hereinafter, referred to as ‘High Court’], whereby C.R.A. (DB) 362 of 2024 preferred by the accused-appellant under Section 374(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 [For short, ‘CrPC’], was rejected on the ground of being time barred and delayed.
4. The accused-appellant stood convicted for the offences punishable under Sections 21 (c) and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 [For short, ‘NDPS Act’]
Procedural lapses in search and seizure under the NDPS Act rendered prosecution's case unviable, leading to the acquittal of the accused for lack of evidence of possession of commercial quantity.
The conviction under the NDPS Act was quashed due to failure to comply with mandatory procedures for sample collection, emphasizing the importance of due process in narcotics cases.
Once there is no primary evidence available, trial as a whole stands vitiated – Failure of concerned authorities to lead primary evidence vitiates conviction.
Failure to comply with mandatory procedures under the NDPS Act vitiates conviction, necessitating primary evidence for a valid trial.
The conviction was overturned due to failure to comply with mandatory procedures under the NDPS Act, specifically Section 52A regarding sample collection.
Recovery of Ganja – Samples drawn in presence of Magistrate and list thereof on being certified alone would constitute primary evidence for the purposes of trial.
The conviction was set aside due to non-compliance with mandatory provisions of the NDPS Act, specifically Section 52A, undermining the prosecution's case.
Point of Law : Harsher the punishment, more is the strictness of proof required for the prosecution. The burden is always upon prosecution to prove the case against the person accused with proof beyo....
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