Supreme Court acquits two men after 20 years over 5-day gap in sample custody

The case involves two appellants, Abdul Rajik and Govind, who were convicted under the NDPS Act for possession of charas. The core issue is whether the prosecution proved the recovery of contraband and followed mandatory procedures under the NDPS Act.

Petitioners: Abdul Rajik and Govind; Respondent: State of M.P.; Bench: Mehta, J.

• The Supreme Court acquitted the two appellants after 20 years due to an unexplained 5-day gap in custody of samples and breach of Section 52A of the NDPS Act.
• The Court found that the samples' integrity and identification were compromised as there was no indication that sample packets were secured under signatures of the accused-appellants or other identifying marks.
• The Court noted that the seizure officer's testimony did not specify whether the weights of the contraband included packing material or were net weights.

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