New Delhi, Oct 28: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has imposed a Rs 10 lakh fine on three police officers for fabricating evidence and giving false testimony in a narcotics case, reports Bar & Bench.
Justice K. K. Ramakrishnan found that the officers conspired to secure a wrongful conviction under the NDPS Act and ordered their joint payment of Rs 10 lakh as compensation to the acquitted accused within one month.
The ruling came while acquitting a man earlier sentenced to ten years’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 1 lakh for allegedly possessing 24 kg of ganja. The Court held that the prosecution’s case was false and riddled with contradictions. Justice Ramakrishnan noted that the officers “conspired together to get the conviction by hook or crook” and said their actions violated the accused’s right to a fair trial. He also directed the Director General of Police, Chennai, to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the officers and complete the inquiry within a month.
