‘Rats ate 200 kg ganja’: Ranchi court acquits accused after police cite destruction of seized drugs

A Ranchi court has acquitted the key accused in a high-profile narcotics case after police claimed that nearly 200 kg of seized ganja, worth around ₹1 crore, was destroyed by rats while being kept in police custody, exposing serious procedural lapses.

The decision came in a January 2022 case, when Ormanjhi police stopped a white Bolero on National Highway 20, alleging it was carrying a huge consignment of marijuana from Ranchi towards Ramgarh. Police said three people fled during the blockade, while one man, Inderjit Rai, also known as Anurjit Rai, was arrested. Later a charge sheet was filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

However, the prosecution’s case became increasingly weak during the trial. The witnesses gave contradictory statements on key aspects, including who arrested the accused, the exact location of the interception and how long the search operation lasted. The court said that these inconsistencies strike at the crux of the prosecution’s version.

The decisive blow came when the police informed the court that the seized ganja kept in the warehouse of Ormanjhi police station was no longer available. A station diary entry from 2024 states that rats had consumed a contraband.

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In its judgment, the court pointed to a complete breakdown of the chain of custody and described the investigation as marked by gross negligence. It ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a credible link between the accused and the alleged crime.

With no concrete evidence left, the court gave the benefit of doubt and acquitted Rai of all charges. The case has again raised concerns over the handling and safety of seized high-value narcotics, citing similar claims involving rodents in Jharkhand earlier.