JUDGMENT :

P.N. PRAKASH, J.

1. These criminal appeals have been preferred against the judgment and order dated 28.07.2015 passed in C.C. No. 14 of 2010 in R.R. No. 1 of 2010 in N.C.B.F. No. 48/1/1/2010-NCB-MAS on the file of the I Additional Special Court for the NDPS Act Cases, Chennai.

2. Shorn of the minute details, a precis of the facts leading to the institution of these criminal appeals are as follows:

2.1 Srikanth (PW1), an officer of the Narcotic Control Bureau (in short "the NCB") received information that Mohammed Aslam (A1) has brought 1 kg. of heroin, a narcotic drug, from Mumbai to Chennai and has checked in to Room No. 208, Supreme Guest House, Egmore, and that one Ramesh (A2) and Sugandan (A3) were coming there to collect the contraband for onward transport to Sri Lanka. This information was recorded on 17.01.2010 at 10.00 p.m. vide Ex-P1 and was placed before Gunabalan (PW4), Superintendent of the NCB, an officer of gazetted rank. A team of officers led by Gunabalan (PW4) went to the said room along with two independent witnesses viz., Arumugam (PW7) and Srinivasa