Himachal Pradesh High Court: Missing Forensic Seal Alone Doesn’t Nullify Trial in NDPS Cases

The Himachal Pradesh High Court ruled that the non-production of a seal used in forensic testing does not automatically vitiate a trial if other evidence proves the prosecution’s case.

The police found a spherical substance wrapped in khaki tape while patrolling at night in a village in Himachal Pradesh. On opening it, the police found it to contain heroin.

The defence argued the missing seal undermined credibility, but the Court clarified that what matters is proof of the sample’s integrity. Procedural lapses, it added, cannot outweigh substantive evidence unless they cause prejudice to the accused.

[Digvijay Singh v State of H.P.]