In a ruling that reveals catastrophic procedural failures, a Ranchi court has acquitted the prime accused in a major narcotics case after police submitted that nearly 200 kilograms of seized marijuana, valued at approximately Rs 1 crore, had been destroyed by rats in police custody.
The bizarre explanation capped a case riddled with contradictions and “gross negligence,” according to the court’s judgement, ultimately dismantling the prosecution’s argument and securing freedom for 26-year-old Indrajit Rai, also known as Anurjeet Rai.
The case originated in January 2022, when Ormanjhi police, acting on a tip-off, intercepted a white Bolero vehicle on National Highway 20. Officials alleged the car was transporting a large narcotics consignment from Ranchi towards Ramgarh. During the stop, three occupants fled; police apprehended Rai, a resident of Bihar’s Vaishali district, while two others escaped.
A search reportedly yielded around 200 kg of ganja, leading to Rai’s arrest and the filing of a chargesheet under the stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
However, the prosecution’s case unravelled during trial. Witness testimonies were inconsistent on fundamental details — none could clearly state who detained the accused, the precise location of the interception, or the duration of the search.
The final blow came when police informed the court that the crucial material evidence, the seized cannabis stored in the Ormanjhi police station malkhana (storage), was no longer available. A station diary entry from 2024 recorded that the contraband had been eaten by rats.
In its judgement, the court highlighted a complete breakdown in the chain of custody and serious lapses in procedure. It noted the prosecution failed to establish a credible link between Rai and the vehicle and that the seizure, storage and sampling processes were unreliable.
“With no material evidence left and the chain of custody completely broken, the benefit of doubt must go to the accused,” the court ruled, acquitting Rai of all charges.
The case has ignited serious concerns over the safeguarding of high-value seized items by law enforcement. According to standard valuations used by the Railway Protection Force (RPF), cannabis is priced at around Rs 50,000 per kilogram, placing the total value of the destroyed contraband at Rs 1 crore.
This is not the first time rodents have been cited in Jharkhand for the disappearance of seized intoxicants. As previously reported, officials in Dhanbad claimed earlier this year that rats had consumed expensive liquor from government warehouses, leaving hundreds of bottles empty or half-full.
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