Devendra Ahuja NDPS Cases Quashed

Authority: Calcutta High Court (Criminal Revisional Jurisdiction, Appellate Side)

Order Date: 21 July 2026

Petitioner: Devendra Ahuja (alias Chintu), proprietor of M/s. Jai Ram Ji Ki Medical Agency, Agra.
Respondent: State of West Bengal.
Applications: Three revision applications – CRR 3987/2024, CRR 3678/2024, CRR 3680/2024 – seeking quashing of NDPS cases No. 15 of 2023, No. 122 of 2022 and No. 73 of 2020.
Allegations: Based on statements of co‑accused Suman Sardar and Alok Kumar Mondal linking petitioner to supply of phensedyl cough syrup and codeine phosphate. No contraband was recovered from petitioner’s possession.
Prosecution Evidence: Relied on hearsay, statements recorded under Section 161 Cr.PC., alleged money‑trail and bank transactions, and witness statements under Section 67 NDPS Act.
Court Findings: The statements of co‑accused are inadmissible; no material evidence, no nexus, no possession under Section 54 NDPS Act; petitioner holds a valid drug licence under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and has no prior criminal record. Large monetary transactions do not ipso facto indicate narcotics dealing.

The High Court allowed all three revision applications and quashed the NDPS proceedings (Koliachak PS Cases 0875/2022, 718/2020 and Hogalberia PS Case 39/2023) insofar as the petitioner is concerned.
The order of the Special Court dated 5 August 2024 in NDPS Case No. 15 of 2023 was set aside/quashed.
The petitioner was ordered to be released immediately and discharged from his bail bond; no order as to costs.

Topics: Legal; Criminal Law