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CC. No. 3735/2021
Cr. No. 537/2021
IN THE COURT OF X ADDL. CHIEF METROPOLITAN MAGISTRATE :
SECUNDERABAD
Present : SMT. N. PRASANTHI
X ADDL.CHIEF METROPOLITAN MAGISTRATE,
SECUNDERABAD.
Dated this, the 30th Day of September, 2022
C.C. No. 3735 of 2021
Between:- The State, represented by the Inspector of Police, Chilkalguda Police Station, Secunderabad.…Complainant
And
Bablu, S/o. Late Jai Singh, age: 36 years, occ: Daily Labour, r/o. Under Sitaphalmandi Flyover,
Chilkalguda, Secunderabad. ....Accused
This case is coming before me on 22-09-2022 for final hearing in the presence of Sri. M. Shekara Chary, the learned Assistant Public Prosecutor for the State and Sri. A.C. Srinivas, the learned counsel for the accused and the matter having stood over for determination till this day, this Court delivered the following:-
J U D G M E NT
The Inspector of Police, Chilkalguda P.S., Secunderabad has filed charge sheet against the above named accused person in Cr. No.537/2021 for the offence punishable under Section 20(b)(ii)(A) of NDPS Act.
2.On 22-09-2021 at about 09:00 hours LW1/N. Sanjay Kumar lodged a report as follows: That he received credible information that the accused is purchasing Ganja and making it into small sachets and selling the same to needy customers on high rates and earning good profits and that the accused came into contact with unknown person who supplies Ganja sachets and purchased Ganja from him and sell the same secretly to needy/known customers as well as habitual Ganja customers. On 22-09-2021 at about 06:00 hours at Seethafalmandi Bridge, Seethafalmandi, Secunderabad, the accused came to the said place in order to sell the Ganja sachets to the known and needy customers on higher rates, in the meantime the accused caught hold by the police in mufty and apprehended the accused and seized Ganja. Hence, he requested to take necessary action in this regard.
2(ii)Basing on the above report given by LW1/N. Sanjay Kumar, a case was registeredin Cr. No. 537/2021 for the offence punishable U/s. 20(b)(ii)(A) of NDPS Act.
During the course of investigation the accused person was apprehended by police and on 2 of 12 Dated: 30-09-2022
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Cr. No. 537/2021 completion of investigation, the Investigating Officer filed a final report u/s 173 Cr.P.C.
opining that the accused person has committed the offence punishable U/s 20(b)(ii)(A) of
NDPS Act.
3.After taking cognizance for the offence punishable U/s 20(b)(ii)(A) of NDPS
Act against the accused person, the relevant copies of documents were furnished to the accused and a charge for the offence punishable U/s 20(b)(ii)(A) of NDPS Act is framed against him, read over and explained to him for which he pleaded not guilty and claimed to be tried. In order to prove its case, the prosecution examined PW1 to PW6 and marked
Ex.P1, Ex.P2 and Ex.P5 to Ex.P8 (Due to oversight the marking of documents series missed from Ex.P-3 and Ex.P-4) and MO1. After closure of prosecution evidence, the accused was examined u/s 313 Cr.P.C. by explaining the incriminating material appearing against him in prosecution evidence for which he denied and further, the accused reported no evidence in his support. I have heard both sides and perused the material on record.
4.Now the point for determination is Whether the prosecution has established the guilt of the accused for the offence punishable U/s 20(b)(ii)(A) of NDPS Act beyond all reasonable doubt?
POINT:
5.The prosecution has examined PW1 to PW6 and marked Ex.P1, Ex.P2 and
Ex.P5 to Ex.P8 and MO1 in support of their evidence.
6.The defacto complainant is examined as PW1 and during his chief examination he stated that on 22-09-2021 at 06:00 AM he received credible information that a person is selling Ganja under Seethaphalmandi Flyover and he gave information to his superior officers and proceeded to the scene of offence along with his staff and two panchas i.e. LW2 to LW6 and along with tool kit and weighing machine. PW1 further deposed that on seeing them a person tried to flee away and they caught hold of him and he told his name as Bablu and the accused is same person apprehended by him and the said person was in possession of 750 grams of Ganja and he conducted confession cum seizure panchanama in the presence of LW5 and LW6 and seized the said Ganja and he has drawn four samples each 50 grams of 3 of 12 Dated: 30-09-2022
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Cr. No. 537/2021 Ganja in four different packets to be sent to the FSL and he has sent S1 and S2 to FSL for report and S3 and S4 were sent to the Court and Ex.P1 is the confession cum seizure panchanama. PW1 further stated that he went to the Police Station along with the seized property and the accused and later lodged a complaint and Ex.P2 is the complaint and he was examined and his statement was recorded by LW10/Inspector of Police.
7.During his cross-examination PW1 stated that he has not reduced the credible information received by him into writing and that has not issued written summons to the panchas. PW1 also admitted that he has not received any complaint from any local persons about selling of Ganja at the scene and also admitted that company of the weighing machine is not mentioned in the confession cum seizure panchanama and admitted that the
Seethaphalmandi flyover comes under the limits of Chilkalguda, Osmania University and even Railway police. PW1 added that the scene of offence comes under the limits of the
Chilkalguda Police Station. PW1 denied the suggestion that he has procured the panchas from their Police Station and that he has not issued written summons to the Gazetted Officer.
PW1 further denied that he has mentioned in the confession cum seizure panchanama that the scene of offene is Seethaphalmandi Railway station and that the scene of offence does not come under our territorial jurisdiction but it comes under the territorial jurisdiction of railway police. PW1 admitted that the Seethaphalmandi flyover starts at left side Pathanjali, right side Vedhik Vidyalayam and ends at model school and further stated that it might be correct that the flyover is about one kilometer and that he has not mentioned exactly the place where he has conducted the confession cum seizure panchanama under the
Seethaphalmandi flyover and admitted that he has not obtained the signature of the accused on the confession cum seizure panchanama. PW1 further admitted that he has not prepared any arrest memo while apprehending the accused. PW1 denied the suggestion that he has illegally arrested that accused without complying section 100 of Cr.P.C. and section 50 of
NDPS Act.
8.The Police Constable who assisted PW1 is examined as PW2 and during his chief examination he deposed that on 22-09-2021 at 06:00 AM while he along with PW1 and
LW3 was on patrolling duty in Chilkalguda P.S. limits and PW1 received credible 4 of 12 Dated: 30-09-2022
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Cr. No. 537/2021 information that one person is selling dry Ganja to customers and in that regard PW1 gave information to higher officials and obtained permission and accordingly he along with LW3 and PW1 obtained weighing machine and tool kit and PW1 secured the presence of two mediators and along with them they went to the scene of offence i.e. Seethaphalmandi
Railway bridge and there they found the accused who is standing in the Court hall who was in possession of dry Ganja weighing 750 grams. PW2 further stated about PW1 conducting the confession cum seizure panchanama in the presence of Panchas and seizing the said
Ganja.
9.During his cross-examination PW2 stated that PW1 obtained permission from his higher officials at 06:00 AM and he obtained oral permission and that they did not make
GD entry about their raid. PW2 denied that no dry Ganja was seized from the possession of the accused by PW1.
10.The eye witness is examined as PW3 and during his chief examination he stated that on 22-09-2021 at 07:00 AM he was going to Tarnaka under Seethaphalmandi
Flyover bridge to have a tea and he observed that the police have apprehended the accused and found Ganja in the bag of the accused and the police seized the said Ganja from the possession of the accused and in that regard police examined him and recorded his statement.
11.During his cross-examination PW3 stated that he is a lift mechanic at
Neredmet and his office hours are from 09:30 AM to 05:30 PM and he do not have prior acquaintance with the accused and he has seen the accused when he was caught by the police.
12.PW4 is the panch for confession cum seizure panchanma and during his chief examination he stated that he knows LW6-Nani Sriram who is his colleague employee and on 22-09-2021 at 07:00 AM the concerned police Chilkalguda have conducted the confession cum seizure panchanama of the accused and the accused is the same person who is standing in the Court hall and police requested them to act as panchas and as per their request they enquired the accused and on enquiry he revealed his name as Bablu and 5 of 12 Dated: 30-09-2022
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Cr. No. 537/2021 confessed his guilt stating that he has purchased one KG Ganja from unknown person and has disposed 250 grams of Ganja and on that day he was in possession of 750 grams of
Ganja and he was found with that Ganja at Seethaphalmandi under bridge near
Seethaphalmandi Railway station and the police have seized the said 750 grams of Ganja from the possession of the accused and they have drawn four samples each 50 grams. PW4 further stated that after completion of the confession cum seizure panchanama in their presence the concerned police have obtained their signatures and MO1 is the 750 grams of
Ganja divided into some small sachets along with loose ganja in a packet.
13.During his cross-examination PW4 stated that he received written requisition from the police to act as panch but he do not know the crime number in which he has acted as panch witness and he has obtained permission from their MRO before leaving office.
PW4 admitted that there are no panch chits on MO1 and also admitted that he did not mention the pillar number where he was called to conduct the panchanama and that no railway police accompanied them.
14.The scene panch is examined as PW5 and during his chief examination he staed that on 22-09-2021 P.S. Chilkalguda called him along with LW8 at Seethaphalmandi flyover near Railway Track there they conducted scene observation panchanama and drawn the rough sketch and later they attested the same and Ex.P5 is the scene observation panchanama cum rough sketch.
15.During his cross-examination he deposed that he has not received any written summons from the concerned police and it took 30 minutes to draft Ex.P5.
16.The Investigating Officer is examined as PW6 and during his chief examination he deposed that on 22-09-2021 at 09 hours he received a complaint from PW1 along with seized property and accused and registered a case in crime no.537 of 2021
U/sec.20(b)(ii)(a) of NDPS Act 1995 and issued FIR i.e., Ex.P6 and on the same day he effected the arrest of the accused and produced him before the Court for judicial remand and during the course of investigation he sent the seized property to FSL and also sent the requisition to the Director FSL, Hyderabad through ACP Gopalapuram Division to analyze 6 of 12 Dated: 30-09-2022
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Cr. No. 537/2021 the materials on 30-09-2021 which is marked as Ex.P7 and he received the FSL report on 27-10-2021 which is marked asEx.P8.
17.During his cross-examination PW6 denied the suggestion that based on the false report he registered a false FIR and arrested the accused from his house and implicated him in a false case. PW6 admitted that there is a delay of eight days in sending the collected material to the FSL for the purpose of analysis and he added that it was due to administrative reasons. PW6 denied the suggestion that the case property was planted and that hehas not complied section 100 of CR.P.C. and 50 of NDPS Act and falsely charge sheeted the accused.
18.The learned Assistant Public Prosecutor has given up the evidence of LW6 and
LW8 as the other witnesses have deposed in favour of the prosecution.
19.The prosecution case in brief is that on 22-09-2021 the defacto complainant received credible information regarding a person moving with contraband drug i.e., Ganja in his possession under the Seethaphalmandi flyover to sell it to the needy customers to earn the profits by illegal means and believing such information to be true he has given information to his superior officers and obtained permission and accordingly he proceeded to the scene of offence and he has apprehended the said person who was trying to escape from the spot along with his team and in the presence of the mediators he conducted the panchanama and seized dry Ganja of 750 grams from the possession of the accused and has conducted the confession cum seizure panchanama and the present complaint was lodged against the accused for the offence under section 20(b)(ii)(A) of NDPS Act.
20.In order to prove the accused to have committed the alleged offence under section NDPS Act the prosecution examined PW1 to PW6 and marked Ex.P1, Ex.P2 and
Ex.P5 to Ex.P8 and MO1 which is the seized Ganja was also marked.
21.In the present case the accused alleged to have been in possession of dry Ganja and he is said to have been selling it to the needy customers for illegal gain and is said to have committed the offence under section 20(b)(ii)(A) of NDPS Act and in support of the 7 of 12 Dated: 30-09-2022
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Cr. No. 537/2021 said allegation the prosecution examined the six witnesses and also marked six documents and PW1 is the Inspect of Police who has received credible information regarding the accused having possession of the 750 grams of Ganja and he has caught the accused when he was in possession of the said Ganja in a bag under Seethaphalmandi flyover and at that time he has conducted confession cum seizure panchanama in the presence of the panchas. The counsel for the accused has raised objections that section 41 to 47 of the NDPS Act has not been followed while the search and seizure has been conducted and he has taken an objection saying that a Gazetted Officer has to conduct this search and seizure panchanama and that has not been followed in the present case and regarding that section 50 of the NDPS
Act deals with the conditions under which search of persons shall be conducted and in the present case the accused was found in possession of the said 750 grams of Ganja in a bag and he was trying to sell it to the customers but the application of sections 41 to 47 of the
NDPS Act i.e., to follow the procedure laid down under section 41 to 47 of the NDPS Act comes i.e., the conditions under which search of the person to be conducted comes into a picture only when the contraband is found on the person i.e., on the body of the person and it was also held by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in between Bodaband Sunder Singh vs.
State of A.P. 2001 (2) ALD (Crl.) 928 (AP) where it was clarified that the search of a person cannot be equated to the search of the bags etc., belonging to the accused and therefore only when there is a search of a person then only the procedure contemplated under section 50 of the Act has to be resorted to. So in the present case the accused was in possession of the loose Ganja of 750 grams in a bag but not on his person. So section 50 conditions need not be complied and the procedure followed by PW1 will not be affected as objected by the counsel for the accused. For better appreciation of the said contention put forth on behalf of the accused the Section 50 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic
Substances Act, is reproduced as under:
Section 50 of NDPS Act: Conditions under which search of persons shall be conducted. - “(1) When any officer duly authorised under section 42 is about to search any person under the provisions of section 41, section 42 or section 43, he shall, if such person so requires, take such person without unnecessary delay to nearest Gazetted Officer of any of the departments mentioned in section 42 or to the nearest Magistrate.
(2) If such requisition is made, the officer may detain the person until he can bring him 8 of 12 Dated: 30-09-2022
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before the Gazetted Officer or the Magistrate referred to in sub-section (1).
(3) The Gazetted Officer or the Magistrate before whom any such person is brought shall, if he sees no reasonable ground for search, forthwith discharge the person but otherwise shall direct that search be made.
(4) No female shall be searched by anyone excepting a female.
(5) When an officer duly authorised under section 42 has reason to believe that it is not possible to take the person to be searched to the nearest Gazetted Officer or Magistrate without the possibility of the person to be searched parting with possession of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance, or controlled substance or article or document, he may, instead of taking such person to the nearest Gazetted Officer or Magistrate, proceed to search the person as provided under section100 of the Code of CriminalProcedure, 1973 (2 of 1974).
(6) After a search is conducted under sub-section (5), the officer shall record the reasons for such belief which necessitated such search and within seventy-two hours send a copy thereof to his immediate official superior.]”
22.The version of PW1 was also supported by PW2 i.e., the Police Constable who has assisted PW1 while confession cum seizure was being conducted by PW1 in the presence of the panchas and PW4 is the confession panch in whose presence the panchanama was conducted and he was examined as PW4 and he also supported the search and seizure that was being conducted in his presence and PW3 is the eye witness who has also supported the version of the prosecution as to the accused being apprehended and was found in possession of the Ganja in a bag and the police seizing the said Ganja from the possession of the accused and he is independent witness who has supported the prosecution story about the accused being found in possession of the contraband.
23.The counsel for the accused has taken an objection that the Railway police was not examined because the scene of offence was the Seethaphalmandi flyover that which was near the railway track. But there was no such necessity for examination of the railway police as the contraband was seized from the possession of the accused in the presence of the panchas and the panchas have stated in favour of the prosecution and even an independent witness has supported the version of the prosecution and there is no such ambiguity as to the territorial jurisdiction of the police as PW1 has stated specifically that the railway bridge comes within the jurisdiction of Chilkalguda police and the basic question is not as to the jurisdiction of the police. But as to the contraband that was found with the possession of the 9 of 12 Dated: 30-09-2022
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Cr. No. 537/2021 accused. So the said issue raised by the accused counsel is answered in favour of the prosecution and even the scene of offence panch i.e., PW5 has also stated that the police conducted the scene panchanama at Seethaphalmandi flyover near railway track and also drawn rough sketch where the accused was found with the contraband and the panchanama was conducted.
24.The Investigating Officer who was examined as PW6 has also stated regarding the investigation has been conducted and sending the seized property to FSL and the report from the FSL has been marked as Ex.P8 which states that13 the contraband which is seized the dry Ganja that also is in favour of the prosecution case and establishes that the accused has been selling dry Ganja for the needy customers for the purpose of illegal gain and this establishes the prosecution story about the accused having in possession of dry Ganja which is a contraband product and he has been selling it to the needy customers.
Section 35 of NDPS Act: Presumption of culpable mental state. - “(1) In any prosecution for an offence under this Act which requires a culpable mental state of the accused, the court shall presume the existence of such mental state but it shall be a defence
for the accused to prove the fact that he had no such mental state with respect to the act
charged as an offence in that prosecution.
Explanation.—In this section “culpable mental state” includes intention motive, knowledge of a fact and belief in, or reason to believe, a fact. (2) For the purpose of this section , a fact is said to be proved only when the court believes it to exist beyond a reasonable doubt and not merely when its existence is established by a preponderance of probability.”
Section 54 of NDPS Act: Presumption from possession of illicit articles. - “In trials under this Act, it may be presumed, unless and until the contrary is proved, that the accused has committed an offence under this Act in respect of—
(a) any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance or controlled substance;
(b) any opium poppy, cannabis plant or coca plant growing on any land which he has cultivated;
(c) any apparatus specially designed or any group of utensils specially adopted for the manufacture of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance or controlled substance; or
(d) any materials which have undergone any process towards the manufacture of a narcotic drug or psychotropic substance or controlled substance, or any residue left of the materials from which any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance or controlled substance has been manufactured, for the possession of which he fails to account satisfactorily]”
Both the above sections reproduced above of the NDPS Act deal with the presumption which goes against the accused in this case and as per the section 35 of the NDPS Act there is 10 of 12 Dated: 30-09-2022
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Cr. No. 537/2021 presumption of culpable mental state of the accused established by the prosecution in this case where the accused had this intention to commit this offence of selling the contraband to the people for the purpose of earning more money and he has knowledge and the motive to commit this particular crime and the culpable mental state has been established by the prosecution through the evidence adduced by them and even as per section 54 of the NDPS
Act the presumption from possession of illicit articles is also been established by the prosecution i.e., the accused fails to account satisfactorily against the presumption that as to the possession of the contraband and he fails to account as to why he was in possession of the contraband and he could not establish any kind of defence in his favour as to why he was in possession of dry Ganja. Therefore the presumption is against him and both the sections i.e., section 35 and section 54 of the NDPS Act gives rise to the presumption that the accused has committed the alleged offence under the Act and it places reverse burden of proof upon the accused found to be in possession of the contraband for which he fails to account for satisfactorily. Therefore with the evidence adduced by the prosecution it has succeeded in establishing the guilt of the accused for the alleged offence that he has been in possession of the Ganja and he could not prove his innocence and he is guilty for the offence under section 20(b)(ii)(A) of NDPS Act.
25.In the result, the accused is found guilty for the offence punishable U/s. 20(b)
(ii)(A) of NDPS Act and accordingly he is convicted U/s 248(2) of Cr.P.C. MO1 i.e., 750 grams of Ganja divided into some small sachets along with loose ganja in a pocket shall be destroyed after expiry of appeal time.
Typed to my dictation by Stenographer, corrected and pronounced by me in the Open Court on this, the 30th day of September, 2022.
X ADDL.CHIEF METROPOLITAN MAGISTRATE,
SECUNDERABAD
26.I have heard the accused on quantum of sentence and he pleaded mercy and that he is having small children. The prosecution did not produce 11 of 12 Dated: 30-09-2022
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Cr. No. 537/2021 any evidence with regard to any previous involvement of the accused person in any other offences of similar nature. I have considered the family position of the accused.
27.Accordingly, the accused is convicted and sentenced the accused to under go simple imprisonment for a period of 01 YEAR and 09 DAYS for the offence u/sec.20(b)(ii)(A) of NDPS Act. The remand period of One Year and Nine Days i.e., from 22-09-2021 to till date i.e., 30-09-2022 undergone by the accused shall be given set off U/sec.428 of Cr.P.C.
28.The accused is informed that he has got right to prefer an appeal and free copy of Judgment is furnished to him. He has stated that he has no means to engage an Advocate to prefer appeal.
Typed to my dictation by Stenographer, corrected and pronounced by me in the Open Court on this, the 30th day of September, 2022.
X ADDL. CHIEF METROPOLITAN MAGISTRATE,
SECUNDERABAD
APPENDIX OF EVIDENCE
WITNESSES EXAMINED
FOR THE PROSECUTION FOR THE DEFENCE
PW1: Sri N. Sanjay Kumar: Complainant. -Nil- PW2: Sri M. Prakash: Eye witness. PW3: Sri B. Parasuram: Eye witness. PW4: Sri B. Hemanth Kumar: Panch witness. PW5: Sri P. Srikanth: Panch witness. PW6: Sri G. Naresh: Inspector of Police/Investigating Officer.
EXHIBITS MARKED
FOR THE PROSECUTION FOR THE DEFENCE
Ex.P1: Confession cum seizure panchanama.-Nil- Ex.P2: Complaint. Ex.P3: (Due to oversight the marking was missed) Ex.P4: (Due to oversight the marking was missed) Ex.P5: Scene observation panchanama cum rough sketch.
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APPENDIX OF EVIDENCE
EXHIBITS MARKED
FOR THE PROSECUTION FOR THE DEFENCE
Ex.P6: First Information Report. Ex.P7: Requisition to the Director FSL Hyderabad through ACP Gopalapuram Division to analyze the materials on 30-09-2021. Ex.P8: Forensic Science Laboratory Report.
M.Os MARKED
MO1: 750 grams of Ganja divided into some small sachets along with loose ganja in a pocket.
X ADDL. CHIEF METROPOLITAN MAGISTRATE,
SECUNDERABAD