How garam masala and amchur powder landed a man in jail for 57 days

Indian spices are known for adding aroma and flavours to food. From garam masala to amchur powder, all Indian spices are best known for their aroma and the kick they offer to Indian dishes. But, in an unfortunate incident these humble spices took a man behind bars for 57 days. Scroll down to find out how.

According to a news report by The Independent, an Indian businessman spent 57 days in prison after security equipment at a domestic airport flagged packets of common cooking spices like garam masala and amchur powder as heroin. The man was travelling through Bhopal airport in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, en route to Malaysia via Delhi, when explosive trace detection machines indicated that packets of two common Indian spices including garam masala and amchur powder contained heroin and a psychotropic substance.

He was immediately arrested under India's Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and held in custody while samples were sent for testing. According to the news report, the samples were then sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Hyderabad, which confirmed they contained no contraband. However, by that point, the man had been in jail for 57 days. Later, the Madhya Pradesh High Court found that the state was liable for violating the man's fundamental right to liberty.

Later, it was found that the detection machine was manufactured in Canada and was not calibrated to handle aromatic Indian spices, which may have triggered a false detection. The court awarded 10 lakh rupees (£9,000) in compensation, to be paid within three months for the case that had been in process since 2011, The Independent news report concluded. This also reveals how a minor error can lead to major issues in the system and can impact the life of a person.