₹2 crore MD drug case turns out fake:Urea found instead of narcotics; all accused, including policeman, get relief; Indore Court dismisses case

A year after Indore police seized what was hailed as Rs 2 crore worth of MD drugs, forensic investigations revealed the substance was not narcotics but urea (potassium nitrate). On Tuesday, the District Court accepted the police’s closure report, dismissing the case and granting relief to all accused. The incident The case dates back to 26 February 2025, when the Tezaji Nagar police received information from the control room. Sub-Inspector Manoj Dubey, Head Constable Devendra Parihar, Abhinav Sharma, Constable Govinda, and Constable Deependra Rana reached Kasturba village on AB Road bypass. Two men were seen sitting suspiciously on a motorcycle. When they noticed the police vehicle, they tried to flee but were caught shortly after. The men identified themselves as Vijay Patidar (Mandsaur) and Mohammad Shahnawaz (Azad Nagar). A search revealed a powdery substance in Shahnawaz’s pocket. Police claimed it was 198 grams of MD drugs, worth Rs 2 crore, and arrested the accused under sections 8/22. Shahnawaz’s memorandum later implicated police clerk Lakhan Gupta from Azad Nagar police station as well. Forensic tests expose truth Three months later, the Forensic Science Lab (FSL) in Bhopal reported that the seized substance was not mephedrone or any narcotic, but potassium nitrate, commonly used in fertilizers, firecrackers, and toothpaste. Suspicious of the result, the police sent the sample for re-testing at the Central FSL in Hyderabad, which confirmed on 9 December 2025 that the substance was indeed urea, completely ruling out any NDPS violation. Court dismisses case Following the forensic confirmation, Tezaji Nagar police admitted in the District Court before the Special Judge that the case against Vijay Patidar, Mohammad Shahnawaz, Raja alias Raja Babu, and police officer Lakhan Gupta was baseless. The court dismissed the case, ordering the return of seized mobiles and other items. All accused remain on bail. Expert opinion: Compensation and Accountability High Court advocate Krishna Kumar Kunhare noted that in NDPS cases, police actions based solely on suspicion cannot withstand forensic scrutiny. Victims of wrongful prosecution can seek compensation under Articles 226-227 and demand action against responsible officers. Advocate and doctor Rupali Rathore added that Section 58 of the NDPS Act provides protection for the innocent and includes provisions for penalizing abuse of power, false searches, wrongful arrests, and harassment by police.