Supreme Court judgments on Section 20, Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985

17 judgments, latest first, from 2018 to 2026. Listed when the Supreme Court Reports file the judgment's headnote under Section 20 of this Act, as printed at the start of the headnote. Judgments that only mention it in passing are not listed.

Abdul Rajik vs State of M.P.

SC · 16 September 2026

[2026] 10 S.C.R. 180 : 2026 INSC 1001

Whether the prosecution failed to prove that the substance recovered from the accused-appellants was charas and consequently, their conviction, as recorded by the trial Court and affirmed by the High Court is unsustainab…

Hem Raj vs The State of Himachal Pradesh

SC · 8 April 2026

[2026] 5 S.C.R. 67 : 2026 INSC 332

(i) What is contended by the appellant is that punishment imposed u/s.20 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 on the appellant would take care of the punishment for the conviction u/s.25 and s.29 o…

Reginamary Chellamani vs State Rep by Superintendent of Customs

SC · 5 February 2026

[2026] 2 S.C.R. 398 : 2026 INSC 127

Issue pertains to grant of bail to the appellant for commission of offence punishable u/s.8(c) r/w ss.20(b)(ii)(C), 22(c), 23, 28 and 29 of the NDPS Act r/w s.135 of the Customs Act; and the right of the accused to free…

Roshni Devi vs The State of Telangana and Others

SC · 8 January 2026

[2026] 2 S.C.R. 128 : 2026 INSC 41

Issue arose whether the order of preventive detention passed by the Magistrate and upheld by the High Court u/s.3(2) of the Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act, 1986 valid in law.

Jothi @ Nagajothi vs The State, Rep. by the Inspector of Police

SC · 11 December 2025

[2025] 12 S.C.R. 488 : 2025 INSC 1417

This is an appeal challenging the judgment dated 27.06.2024 passed by the High Court, whereby the conviction and sentence imposed upon the appellant u/ss.8(c) r/w 20(b)(ii)(C) and 8(c) r/w 29(1) of the Narcotic Drugs and…

Kailas S/o Bajirao Pawar vs The State of Maharashtra

SC · 15 September 2025

[2025] 9 S.C.R. 935 : 2025 INSC 1117

Issue arose whether the High Court was justified in ordering a re-trial; if not, then what would be the appropriate order that may be passed in this appeal.

Mohammed Khalid and Another vs The State of Telangana

SC · 1 March 2024

[2024] 3 S.C.R. 23 : 2024 INSC 158

Whether the High Court was justified in affirming the judgment of the trial court convicting and sentencing the accused appellants for the charge u/s. 8(c) r/w. s.20(b)(ii)(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Subst…

Sanjeet Kumar Singh @ Munna Kumar Singh vs State of Chhattisgarh

SC · 30 August 2022

[2022] 11 S.C.R. 166 : 2022 INSC 883

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 – ss.20(b)(ii)(C), 54 Presumption u/s.54 – Appellant concurrently convicted u/s.20(b)(ii)(C) and sentenced, relying on the testimony of PW-7-DSP (who acted both as the…

Rajesh Dhiman vs State of Himachal Pradesh

SC · 26 October 2020

[2020] 8 S.C.R. 1057 : 2020 INSC 607

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 – s.20 – Both the appellants were travelling on a motorcycle and one of them was with a backpack slung over his shoulders – A police team stopped and searched them – T…

Jeet Ram vs The Narcotics Control Bureau, Chandigarh

SC · 15 September 2020

[2020] 7 S.C.R. 558 : 2020 INSC 545

Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 – ss.20, 50 and 54 – Appellant was charged u/s.20 – Acquitted by trial court – Convicted by High Court – On appeal, held: Findings recorded by trial court are contrary t…

Rizwan Khan vs The State of Chhattisgarh

SC · 10 September 2020

[2020] 7 S.C.R. 546 : 2020 INSC 543

Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 – ss.20(b)(ii)(B), 20(b)(ii)(C), 42, 50, 55 – Appellant-accused along with others was found with contraband articles in the vehicle – Convicted u/s.20(b)(ii)(B) – Held:…

Gangadhar alias Gangaram vs State of Madhya Pradesh

SC · 5 August 2020

[2020] 7 S.C.R. 173 : 2020 INSC 478

Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 – s.8C r/w. s. 20(b)(ii)(c) – Appellant was convicted u/s. 8C r/w. s. 20(b)(ii)(c) of the 1985 Act for the recovery of 48 Kgs 200 gms. cannabis (ganja) and sentenced…

State of Kerala etc. vs Rajesh etc.

SC · 24 January 2020

[2020] 3 S.C.R. 348 : 2020 INSC 88

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 – s.37 & ss.2(viia), (xxiiia), 20(b)(ii)(c), 29 – Scheme of s.37 – In Crime No.14/2018, accused persons (A1 to A3) were found in joint possession of 10.202 kgs of hash…

Varinder Kumar vs State of Himachal Pradesh

SC · 11 February 2019

[2019] 2 S.C.R. 707 : 2019 INSC 170

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 – s.20(ii)(c) – Appellant was apprehended with two Gunny Bags on his scooter which contained varying quantities of ‘Charas’ – Trial Court acquitted the appellant on th…

S. K. Raju @ Abdul Haque @ Jagga vs State of West Bengal

SC · 5 September 2018

[2018] 10 S.C.R. 731 : 2018 INSC 780

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 – s.20(b)(ii)(c) – Recovery of 1.5 kgs of Charas from accusedappellant – PW2, on receipt of information that a drug dealer would be in vicinity of a club, sought permi…

Arif Khan @ Agha Khan vs State of Uttarakhand

SC · 27 April 2018

[2018] 6 S.C.R. 787 : 2018 INSC 426

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 – ss.20 and 50 – Non-compliance of s.50 – Prosecution case that Police raided appellant-accused and on search found contraband article “Charas” weighing around 2.5 Kg…

The State of Himachal Pradesh vs Pardeep Kumar etc.

SC · 16 February 2018

[2018] 2 S.C.R. 656 : 2018 INSC 166

Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 – s.20 r/w. s.29 – Conviction under – Propriety of – On 27.01.2009 a police party on patroling duty on National Highway 21 on ManaliKullu road, signaled a car to stop…

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