Ganesan vs The State Rep By Its

Headnote AI-drafted · Reviewed and approved

These are a batch of criminal appeals filed under Section 374 of the Code of Criminal Procedure challenging convictions and sentences imposed by various Special Courts for NDPS Act Cases in Madurai and other districts of Tamil Nadu. The appellants were convicted for offences under Section 8(c) read with Section 20(b)(ii)(C) and other provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, arising out of separate crime numbers involving alleged possession and trafficking of narcotic substances, primarily ganja.

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court heard the batch of appeals together in view of the common questions of law and fact arising under the NDPS Act. The appeals arise from judgments of the II Additional Special Court for NDPS Act Cases, Madurai, the I Additional Special Court for NDPS Act Cases, Madurai, the Additional District and Sessions Court/Special Court for EC and NDPS Act Cases, Pudukkottai, and other courts, wherein the accused were sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment of 10 years and pay fines.

The appeals were reserved on 12.09.2025 and pronounced on 15.10.2025 by Justice K.K. Ramakrishnan. The court examined the evidence on record, compliance with mandatory provisions of the NDPS Act including Sections 42, 50, and 57, and the procedural safeguards required for valid search, seizure and sampling under the Act.

Catchwords: NDPS Act · narcotic drugs · ganja · conviction · appeal · search and seizure · Section 8(c) · Section 20(b)(ii)(C) · mandatory compliance · rigorous imprisonment · Special Court · NIB-CID · sampling procedure · Section 42 · Section 50 · Section 57