Somasundaram Inspector Of Police vs Saroja Advocate - M. Kumaravel — 8/2026

Summary The Special Court under the Essential Commodities Act in Thanjavur acquitted Saroja of charges under Section 20(i)(b) of the NDPS Act 1985 for alleged possession of 1.1 kg of ganja. The court found critical procedural failures: (1) the timing was implausible—police received secret information and seized contraband at the same time (8:30 AM) despite the occurrence place being 7 km away; (2) the seizure mahazar lacked the accused's signature; and (3) seized property was delayed over 3 months before production in court with no evidence of proper custody, and was destroyed without court authorization. Relying on the *Valsala v. State of Kerala* precedent, the court concluded the prosecution failed to prove charges beyond reasonable doubt. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.