An Indian court in Jharkhand has cleared the main suspect in a drug smuggling case after police told the court that nearly 200 kilograms of seized cannabis had been eaten by rats while kept in a storage facility.
Media reports said the case began in 2022 when police stopped a vehicle on a national highway in Jharkhand and claimed to have recovered a large quantity of cannabis hidden inside. The seized drugs were valued at about three crore Pakistani rupees.
During the trial, police failed to present the seized cannabis as evidence, telling the court that rats had destroyed it while it was stored in a warehouse. Officers maintained that the drugs were no longer available.
The judge dismissed this explanation, saying it cast serious doubt on the way the case was handled. The court strongly criticised the police for gross negligence in safeguarding the evidence.
The ruling also pointed out major contradictions in the statements of police witnesses. These included conflicting details about where and when the vehicle was stopped, who actually arrested the accused, and how the alleged accomplices managed to flee.
The court further noted that despite the claimed recovery of such a large quantity of drugs from a busy highway near populated areas, no independent civilians were made witnesses in the operation.
The prosecution was also unable to prove any clear connection between the accused and the vehicle from which the cannabis was allegedly recovered.
Based on these shortcomings, the court ruled that the charges were not proven beyond doubt. It observed that in the absence of physical evidence and a reliable chain of custody, the benefit of doubt must go to the accused.
As a result, the court acquitted the main accused and cleared him of all charges.