SUB INSPECTOR OF POLICE, PVK PS vs ASHOKAN — 188/2026

Case Summary: Case 188/2026 Court Decision: The accused Ashokan was acquitted of charges under Section 4(1)(C) of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition (Amendment) Act. Key Facts & Reasoning: On February 1, 2026, police seized 26 bottles of Mens Club Brandy (180ml each) allegedly found in the accused's possession without government permission. However, the court found critical procedural violations. Under Section 32 of the TNP Act, seized liquor must be destroyed in the presence of a Prohibition Officer or Police Inspector (not below Inspector rank), with proper documentation and sample preservation. Here, the seized liquor was destroyed without following these mandatory procedures—no independent officer witnessed the destruction, no samples were retained for chemical analysis, and no proper destruction certificate was issued. Additionally, no civilian witnesses were produced to corroborate the seizure. The court held these violations were fatal to the prosecution's case, rendering the evidence unreliable and the charge unproven beyond reasonable doubt. This case analysis is maintained by casestatus.in based on publicly available court records.