STATE OF TAMIL NADU REP BY SUB INSPECTOR OF POLICE vs SAKAYARAJ — 118/2026

Case Summary: 118/2026 Court Decision: The Judicial Magistrate acquitted Sakayaraj under Section 4(1)(C) of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition (Amendment) Act, finding the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt. Key Reasoning: Although police witnesses testified that Sakayaraj was caught with 180ml of Express Brandy bottles, the court found critical procedural violations under Section 32 of the TNP Act. The seized alcohol was destroyed and samples were taken without the mandatory presence of a senior police officer (Inspector rank or above) or a Prohibition Officer—a requirement the court deemed mandatory to prevent manipulation. Additionally, no independent witnesses were present at seizure, no chemical analysis was conducted on samples, and the scene documentation was incomplete. These procedural failures fatally undermined the prosecution's case. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.