After 5 years in jail, accused freed by HC for ‘non-compliance’ of NDPS Act

Cuttack: After spending nearly five years in jail, one Chhabilal Banchhor was acquitted by Orissa high court after the court found non-compliance with provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, in the case. On Feb 25, 2019, the court of sessions judge-cum-special judge, Nuapada, sentenced Chhabilal to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs 1 lakh. Nuapada police arrested Chhabilal with 27 kg of ganja on Aug 22, 2016.While quashing the trial court’s judgment, Justice Gourishankar Satapathy held that there is no evidence to indicate that the inventory of the seized contraband was certified by any magistrate, nor was the representative sample of seized contraband taken in the presence of a magistrate nor the correctness of any list of samples certified, which would have been primary evidence for the purpose of trial with respect to an offence under NDPS Act.TNN

MPCB deletes social media post on non-compliance by Mercedes Benz unit

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board deleted a social media post about Mercedes Benz India's Chakan unit's non-compliance with environmental norms. The post followed an inspection by Chairman Siddhesh Kadam, who emphasized high standards. Mercedes Benz India stated they had not received formal notice but were willing to cooperate. Many questioned the purpose of Kadam's visit after the post's deletion.

Opium poppy cultivation wont attract Sec 37 of NDPS Act: HC

The Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled that the cultivation of opium poppy does not fall under Section 37 of the NDPS Act, which mandates a 10-year rigorous imprisonment. Instead, it is an offense under Section 18(c) with a one-year imprisonment. The court's decision led to the release of an accused held since March 2023.

Supreme Court lays down when an insult is an offence under SC/ST Act

The Supreme Court ruled that insulting an individual from the SC or ST community without referencing caste or untouchability does not constitute an offense under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. This decision came while granting anticipatory bail to Shajan Skaria, who was charged with calling an SC MLA a 'mafia don'.