Indian Court Acquits Drug Smuggling Accused After Police Claim Rats Ate 200kg of Cannabis

Mumbai:In an unusual case from India, a court in the state of Jharkhand has acquitted the main accused in a drug smuggling case after police claimed that rats had eaten around 200 kilograms of seized cannabis.

According to Indian media reports, the Jharkhand court strongly criticized the police for serious negligence in handling evidence while acquitting the accused. The court observed that the prosecution failed to preserve the seized narcotics, which severely weakened the case.

The case dates back to 2022, when police intercepted a vehicle on a national highway in Jharkhand and claimed to have recovered a large quantity of cannabis hidden inside it. However, during the trial, police informed the court that nearly 200 kilograms of the seized cannabis—worth approximately 30 million Pakistani rupees—had been eaten by rats while stored in a warehouse.

The court termed the explanation unacceptable and highlighted major lapses in evidence management, ultimately leading to the release of the accused.