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This is an archive article published on January 11, 1998

Divine intervention from court

THANE, January 10: Acquitting a godman of charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), Thane special judge R G J...

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THANE, January 10: Acquitting a godman of charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), Thane special judge R G Janbandhu passed strictures on the police officer who investigated into the offence.

The charge against the godman, Santanam Maharaj alias Balkrishna Ambo Gadage, was that he had cultivated and sold ganja. The prosecution told the court that when the police raided the godman’s farm on March 11, 1996, they found ganja plants.

However, dismissing the contention of the prosecution, the judge observed that the prosecution had not placed on record the copy of the entry regarding the police raid nor had it any evidence to show that a copy was despatched to the nearer superior officer. "Therefore, the version of PSI Rajput and Devram Patil, cannot be believed," said the judge. Both these policemen had submitted a special report about the raid on the godman’s house and the seizure of ganja plants and seeds from his residence. The judge went on to say that the prosecution had failed to prove the charges against the accused.

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