Lost in translation: Witness statement in Hindi gets drug case accused acquitted
Chennai: A crucial narcotics case in Chennai fell apart after the prosecution submitted a key witness statement in Hindi — without any Tamil or English translation — leaving the court unable to understand the contents.
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The court acquitted the accused, Nag Narayan Prasad from Kolkata, citing a lack of admissible evidence.
The case began with the seizure of 4.6kg of hashish hidden inside 38 sheep-like toys in a courier parcel intercepted at Aramex, Ekkatuthangal, in March 2021. The parcel, booked under a West Bengal sender's name, was flagged as suspicious during X-ray screening. Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officers confirmed the contraband using field test kits and collected samples before launching an investigation.
The accused was arrested based solely on statements from Ranjith Singh, a courier operator in Chennai, and U Ismail of Dil Express who allegedly linked him to the consignment.
However, Singh's statement, filed only in Hindi, had no translated version annexed. The judge, S Govindharajan, said this made it impossible "to come to the conclusion whether there is something available against the accused".
Crucially, neither Singh nor Ismail was examined in court.
The court also found that no contraband had been recovered from Prasad personally, and that his name appeared in no airway bill, manifest, or booking document. The prosecution relied heavily on a photograph-based identification without conducting an identification parade.
Adding to the lapses, CCTV camera images from a Chennai hotel where the accused allegedly stayed were submitted without the mandatory digital certification under the Evidence Act.
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The hotel manager, considered a key witness, was also never examined.
The court concluded that the case lacked a legal chain linking the accused to the drugs and held that the investigation had failed to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
Prasad was acquitted, and the seized narcotics were ordered to be destroyed after appeal timelines lapse.
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