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A special NDPS court in Madhya Pradesh's Indore has acquitted four persons, including a police constable, in an alleged 198-gram MD drugs seizure case after forensic laboratory tests found that the seized powder was not a narcotic substance but potassium nitrate.
The court of Special Judge (NDPS) Narsingh Baghel accepted the police's closure report on Tuesday (February 3), dismissing the case and granting relief to all accused. Giving further details of the case, advocate Nitin Parashar told ANI, "A case was registered at Tezaji Nagar police station on February 26, 2025, which included four accused, namely, Shahnawaj Sheikh, a resident of Azad Nagar (Indore), Vijay, a resident of Mandsaur, Raja Babu, a resident of Azad Nagar and constable Lakhan Gupta. According to the FIR, the police claimed that Shahnawaj and Vijay were riding a motorcycle near Ralamandal and, on suspicion, checked them. During which the police cited that they found 198 grams of MD drugs. Six days later, Raja and Constable Lakhan were added as accused in the case, citing assisting the accused." After that, the police failed to submit a chargesheet before the court in the first six-month period and sought a time of additional two months, which was granted by the court, Parasar said. The advocate further said, "When the police sent the seized sample for forensic examination at Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) Bhopal, its report was found negative...The sample was further sent for re-examination at a Lab in Hyderabad and its report was found negative again." "Following these reports, the police submitted a closure report in the court in December 2025. On Tuesday, Special Judge (NDPS Act) Narsingh Baghel accepted the report, dismissed the case and acquitted all the accused," he added. Meanwhile, DCP Zone-1, Krishna Lalchandani, told ANI, "The case dated back to February 2025, in which there were primarily two accused, Vijay Patidar, Shahnawaj and a reported MD drug weighing around 198 grams was seized. Later, Raja Babu and Lakhan Gupta were also added as accused in this case. When the testing of the seized sample was conducted in Bhopal, it was found to be Potassium nitrate. Later, it was further tested in Hyderabad after seeking permission from the court and the seized material was again found to be potassium nitrate." Based on these two reports, the police submitted a report to the court, which was accepted on February 3, and all four accused were acquitted in the case, he added. (ANI)
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