Two Held in 761kg Ganja (Marijuana) Smuggling Case
Nagpur, India- The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Adhoc District Judge CP Jain acquitted Pawan Sharma and Parveh Dev Shankar Mandal, both from Bihar, in a case involving 761 kg of ganja (marijuana). They were accused of illegal possession, transportation, and attempting to export ganja across state lines.
The case began on July 8, 2021, when DRI officers stopped a truck near Borkhedi Toll Booth in Nagpur. Pawan Sharma, the driver, and Pravesh Dev Shankar Mandal, the cleaner, were found with a large amount of ganja hidden under rice bags in the truck.
However, during the trial, inconsistencies in the evidence created doubts about the prosecution's case. Witnesses, including intelligence and investigating officers, gave conflicting testimonies about key details such as how the intelligence was received, the search operation was conducted, and how the seized evidence was handled.
Judge CP Jain noted the lack of important witness statements and failure to follow legal procedures during the search and seizure. The defence argued that the accusations were false.
Due to these inconsistencies and procedural mistakes, Judge CP Jain ruled that the prosecution did not prove the guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Therefore, both accused were acquitted of all charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Advocate Amit Band represented the accused, while Special Prosecutor Kunal Nalamwar appeared for the DRI.
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