PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT AT CHANDIGARH
SURESHWAR THAKUR, DEEPAK MANCHANDA, JJ.
Dalel Singh - Appellant
Vs.
State Of Haryana - Respondent
CRA-D-193-2021
Decided On : 18-04-2024
JUDGMENT :
Sureshwar Thakur, J.
The instant appeal is directed against the verdict made on 15.02.2021, upon Sessions Case No.CIS (NDPS) Case No.8 of 2019, by the learned Special Judge (under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985), Jind, wherethrough he convicted the accused for a charge drawn qua an offence punishable under Section 15 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (hereinafter referred to as "the Act"). Moreover, through a sentencing order of 16.02.2021, he proceeded to impose upon the convict sentence of rigorous imprisonment extending upto a period of 20 years, besides imposed upon him, sentence of fine of Rs.2,00,000/- (Rs. 2 lacs), besides in default of payment of fine amount, he sentenced the convict to undergo simple imprisonment extending upto a period of two years.2. The accused-convict became aggrieved from the above drawn verdict of conviction, and, also the consequent therewith sentence(s) (supra), as became imposed. Resultantly, he instituted thereagainst the instant appeal.
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
3. The genesis of the prosecution case are that, on 1.4.2017, SI Nafe Singh along with ASI Atma Ram, EASI Kamal Singh, EASI Ram Singh, HC Rajesh Kumar, HC Manoj Kumar, EHC Balraj and C. Pardeep Kumar was on patrolling and crime detection duty in Govt, vehicle No.HR31L-6944 with its driver EHC Vinod Kumar and were present near Bus Stand, Village Karamgarh. A secret informer met to SI Nafe Singh and informed that Dharambir and Dalel Singh sons of Mange Ram, both rs/o of village Karamgarh have stored Doda Post for selling, in the kotha of their field and who had just gone at their Kotha in the field with their Mahindra Brito Car bearing registration No.PB-ll-AW-9791 of white colour and they would go outside to supply the Doda Post in their vehicle. Secret information was found to be true and believable, so, notice under Section 42 of the Act, was prepared and sent the same to Police Station Sadar Narwana, through EASI Kamail Singh. SI Nafe Singh after disclosing the secret information to his fellow officials and with secret informer, proceeded for the spot, in government vehicle as informed by secret informer. When they reached at the Kacha Path near the field kotha, vehicle No.PB-ll-AW-9791 of white colour was found parked there and one young boy was seen putting one gunny bag in the Dicky of the said vehicle, who was Dharambir son of Mange Ram r/o Karamgarh and the second person having jute bag on his back was seen coming from Kotha to vehicle side, who was Dalel Singh son of Mange Ram r/o village Karamgarh and who was earlier known to SI Nafe Singh. On seeing the police vehicle coming towards them, they fled away towards the fields by throwing the jute bags. SI Nafe Singh along with his fellow officials chased both the youths, but they fled away by taking the advantage of standing crops. Thereafter, SI Nafe Singh along with fellow officials returned to Kotha and found one jute bag lying in front of Kotha and many jute bags were lying inside the Kotha. Dicky of vehicle No.PB-ll-AW-9791 was also found opened and two jute bags were found inside it. On the ground of suspicion of having intoxicant substance in the bags, SI Nafe Singh contacted to DSP, Narwana, from his mobile, who told hat he is out of station. Thereafter, SI Nafe Singh contacted Shri Paramjit Singh DSP, Jind on his mobile No.8814011502 and after informing about the facts, requested him to reach at the spot. After sometime, Shri Paramjit Singh DSP, Jind-2 along with his staff and government vehicle reached at the spot, who directed SI Nafe Singh to search the 14 bags. Thereafter, SI Nafe Singh checked all the bags after untying their mouths and Doda Post was found filled in the bags. One electronic weighing machine was also found inside the Kotha near the bags. All the jute bags were weighed and weight of each bag was found to be 21 kgs. Out of each bag, two samples of 100 grams each were taken and converted into the parcel
The prosecution must maintain an unbroken chain of custody for evidence; failure to do so can result in acquittal due to reasonable doubt.
The main legal point established in the judgment is the requirement for the prosecution to establish a clear and unbroken link between the FSL report and the seized contraband to prove the charge und....
The necessity of complying with statutory requirements for personal search, preservation of case property, and the production of untampered case property in court as primary evidence to prove the cha....
The court emphasized the necessity of obtaining a search warrant under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, reinforcing the importance of statutory compliance in criminal proceedings.
The prosecution must establish a clear and unbroken chain of custody and evidence handling to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.
Unless and until prosecution proves its case beyond reasonable doubt appellant could not have been convicted.
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