Saharsa/Patna: A man in Bihar who spent nearly two years in jail for alleged possession of smack has been acquitted after forensic analysis revealed that the substance was actually khaini, a form of chewing tobacco commonly used in the region.
The incident took place in Saharsa district, where local police had arrested the man and seized what they believed to be a banned narcotic substance. He was charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and remanded to judicial custody in 2022.
However, in a recent development, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report contradicted the initial police claim, confirming that the seized material did not contain any narcotic substance but was instead tobacco-mixed lime – commonly known as khaini.
The court took note of the forensic report and subsequently acquitted the accused, bringing attention to serious lapses in law enforcement procedures. Legal experts and civil rights activists have raised concerns about the delay in forensic testing and the consequences of wrongful incarceration.
