In a case that has stunned both the judiciary and the public, a court in Ranchi has acquitted the prime accused in a major narcotics case after police informed the court that nearly 200 kilograms of seized marijuana (Ganja) — worth around ₹1 crore — was eaten by rats while in police custody.
The startling disclosure, officially placed before the court by the police, exposed serious lapses in evidence handling and ultimately proved fatal to the prosecution’s case under the stringent NDPS Act.
The marijuana was seized in January 2022 by Ormanjhi police during a vehicle check on NH-20. Acting on a tip-off, the police intercepted a white Bolero allegedly carrying a large consignment of narcotics from Ranchi towards Ramgarh.
As the vehicle was stopped, three occupants attempted to flee. One person — later identified as Indrajit Rai alias Anurjeet Rai (26), a resident of Birpur village in Bihar’s Vaishali district — was apprehended, while two others escaped.
A search of the vehicle reportedly led to the recovery of around 200 kg of ganja. Indrajit Rai was arrested and sent to jail, and police later filed a chargesheet invoking serious provisions of the NDPS Act.
However, during the trial, the prosecution’s case began to unravel. Witness testimonies were riddled with contradictions regarding the time, location and manner of the seizure.
Shockingly, no witness could clearly state who apprehended the accused, where exactly the vehicle was stopped, or how long the search operation lasted.
The most damaging blow came when police admitted before the court that the seized ganja, stored in the Ormanjhi police station malkhana, had been destroyed by rats. A formal station diary entry to this effect was reportedly made in 2024.
Terming the explanation as a case of “gross negligence,” the court raised serious questions about the police’s custodial responsibility. In its judgment, the court observed that the prosecution failed to establish any credible link between the accused and the seized vehicle.
It further noted that the seizure, storage and sampling procedures of the narcotics could not be relied upon due to glaring procedural lapses.
“With no material evidence left and the chain of custody completely broken, the benefit of doubt must go to the accused,” the court ruled, acquitting Indrajit Rai of all charges.
Beyond the acquittal, the case has triggered wider concern over how high-value seized narcotics are stored and safeguarded by law enforcement agencies. It also raises an uncomfortable question: Was it truly a case of rats running amok in the malkhana, or is there a deeper, unexplained story behind the disappearance of narcotics worth a crore?
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