Baki Billa Gazi @ Billu vs. The State Of West Bengal

ITEM NO.301

COURT NO.4

SECTION II-C

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

Petition(s) for Special Leave to Appeal (Crl.) No(s).8164-8166/2021

(Arising out of impugned final judgment and order dated 03-11-2020 in CRLREVP No.1219/2019, CRLREVP No.1220/2019 and CRLREVP No. 1222/2019 passed by the High Court of Delhi at New Delhi)

MOHD. ARBAZ & ORS.

Petitioner(s)

VERSUS

STATE OF NCT OF DELHI

Respondent $(s)$

WITH

SLP(Crl) No. 8496-8497/2021 (II-B) IA No.164255/2021 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING AFFIDAVIT IA No.164253/2021 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING O.T. IA No.164250/2021 - PERMISSION TO FILE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS/FACTS/ANNEXURES IA No.149482/2021 - PERMISSION TO FILE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS/FACTS/ANNEXURES) SLP(Crl) No. 8718/2021 (II-B) IA No. 147020/2021 - PERMISSION TO FILE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS/FACTS/ANNEXURES) <pre>SLP(Crl) No. 355/2022 (II-B)</pre> IA No. 7098/2022 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING O.T.) <u>SLP(Crl) No. 532/2022 (II-B)</u> SLP(Crl) No. 2666/2022 (II-B) IA No. 46867/2022 - APPLICATION FOR TAKING ON RECORD IA No. 53398/2022 - APPROPRIATE ORDERS/DIRECTIONS IA No. 46871/2022 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING AFFIDAVIT IA No. 41462/2022 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING C/C OF THE IMPUGNED JUDGMENT IA No. 41461/2022 - PERMISSION TO FILE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS/FACTS/ANNEXURES) SLP(Crl) No. 5190/2022 (II-B) IA No. 79259/2022 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING C/C OF THE IMPUGNED JUDGMENT) SLP(Crl) No. 11181/2022 (II-B) SLP(Crl) No. 6876-6877/2022 (II-B) IA No. 103181/2022 - PERMISSION TO FILE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS/FACTS/ANNEXURES) Signa $\mathbb{Q}$ (Cr1) No. <u>11349/2022</u> (II-B) Digital Procession To FILE ADDITIONAL 17.32 DUCUMENTS/FACTS/ANNEXURES) SLP(Crl) No. 6865-6866/2023 (II-B) IA No. 105482/2023 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING C/C OF THE IMPUGNED JUDGMENT <u>SLP(Crl) No. 1929/2023 (II-C)</u>

SLP(Crl) No. 3850/2023 (II-B) (IA No.60330/2023-EXEMPTION FROM FILING C/C OF THE IMPUGNED JUDGMENT) SLP(Crl) No. 5744-5746/2023 (II-B) (FOR ADMISSION and I.R. and IA No.78045/2023-CONDONATION OF DELAY IN FILING and IA No.78046/2023-EXEMPTION FROM FILING C/C OF THE IMPUGNED JUDGMENT) SLP(Crl) No. 8610/2023 (II-C) (FOR ADMISSION and I.R. and IA No.134901/2023-EXEMPTION FROM FILING C/C OF THE IMPUGNED JUDGMENT) SLP(Crl) No. 12132/2023 (II-C) IA No. 54745/2024 - APPLICATION FOR TAGGING/DETAGGING IA No. 179632/2023 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING C/C OF THE IMPUGNED JUDGMENT IA No. 179633/2023 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING O.T. IA No. 13190/2024 - INTERIM BAIL) SLP(Crl) No. 12200/2023 (II-C) Diary No(s). 41755/2023 (II-C) ( IA No.212952/2023-CONDONATION OF DELAY IN FILING and IA No.212951/2023-EXEMPTION FROM FILING C/C OF THE IMPUGNED JUDGMENT and IA No.212953/2023-EXEMPTION FROM FILING O.T.) SLP(Crl) No. 13327/2023 (II-C) IA No. 212917/2023 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING C/C OF THE IMPUGNED JUDGMENT IA No. 212918/2023 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING O.T.) SLP(Crl) No. 13501/2023 (II-C) Diary No(s). 43791/2023 (II-C) (FOR ADMISSION and I.R. and IA No.234690/2023-CONDONATION OF DELAY IN FILING and IA No.234689/2023-EXEMPTION FROM FILING C/C OF THE IMPUGNED JUDGMENT) SLP(Crl) No. 4333/2024 (II-C) SLP(Crl) No. 3629/2024 (II-C) SLP(Crl) No. 11628/2022 (II-C) IA No. 41799/2023 - APPLICATION FOR PERMISSION IA No. 52371/2023 - PERMISSION TO FILE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS/FACTS/ANNEXURES) SLP(Crl) No. 4107/2023 (II-C) IA No. 41886/2023 - CLARIFICATION/DIRECTION IA No. 5571/2023 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING C/C OF THE IMPUGNED JUDGMENT IA No. 5572/2023 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING O.T.) SLP(Crl) No. 2562/2023 (II-B) IA No. 39415/2023 - EXEMPTION FROM FILING O.T.) SLP(Crl) No. 3446/2024 (II-C) Date : 18-07-2024 These petitions were called on for hearing today.

CORAM :

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SURYA KANT HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SUDHANSHU DHULIA HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE UJJAL BHUYAN

For Petitioner(s) Mr. Balaji Srinivasan, AOR Mr. Mukesh Kumar Verma, Adv. Mr. Ashwani Kumar Sharma, Adv. Mr. Ajay Agarwal, Adv. Ms. Priyanka, Adv. Mr. Kundan Kumar, Adv. Mr. Ayush Tomar, Adv. Dr. Kamal Singh, Adv. Mr. Yadav Narender Singh, AOR Mr. Somesh Chandra Jha, AOR Mr. Amartya Ashish Sharan, Adv. Mr. Shreay Saini, Adv. Mr. Akash Kishore, Adv. Mr. Animesh Rajoriya, Adv. Mr. Vikram Hegde, AOR Mr. Chitwan Sharma, Adv. Mr. Rudro Chatterjee, Adv. Mr. Anas Tanwir, AOR Ms. Megha Karnwal, AOR Mr. Ajay Pal, AOR Mr. Anil Kumar, AOR Mr. Vikas Sharma, Adv. Mr. Vikram Hegde, Adv. Ms. Devanshi Sharma, Adv. Mr. Anil Kumar, Adv. Mr. Nishant Singh, AOR Mr. Bhanwar Pal Singh Jadon, D.A.G. Mr. Harsh Vardhan Singh Rajawat, Adv. Mr. Chetan Jadon, Adv. Ms. Hemlata Singh Rathore, Adv. Mr. Samar Vijay Singh, AOR Dr. Vps Jadon, Adv. Ms. Sabarni Som, Adv. Mr. Pankaj Kumar, Adv. Mr. Sidharth Arora, Adv. Mr. Vaibhav Tiwari, Adv. Mr. M.L. Saggar, Sr. Adv. Mrs. Tanuj Bagga Sharma, AOR Mr. Sunny Saggar, Adv. Ms. Armaan Saggar, Adv. Dr. M.k Ravi, Adv. Mr. Ashish Batra, AOR Mr. Sriram P., AOR

Mr. Harshit Sethi, Adv. Mr. Nikhil Jain, AOR Mr. Rahil Mahajan, Adv. Ms. Mansi Tripathi, Adv. Ms. Divya Jain, Adv. Mr. Aabhas Kshetarpal, Adv. Mr. Neelaabh Bist, Adv. Mr. Siddhartha Jha, AOR Mr. Uday Gupta, Sr. Adv. Mr. Hiren Dasan, AOR Mr. Krishnendu Bhattacharya, Adv. Mr. Narayan Chandra Das, Adv. Ms. Shivani M. Lal, Adv. Mr. Harish Dasan, Adv. Mr. Rajiv Ranjan, Adv. Ms. Yogamaya M.G., Adv. Mohammad Akbar Khan, Adv. Mr. Rishi Malhotra, AOR Mr. Vikram Chaudhri, Sr. Adv. Mr. Keshav Chaudhari, Adv. Ms. Anzu. K. Varkey, AOR Mr. Rishi Sehgal, Adv. Ms. Arveen Sekhon, Adv. Mr. Hargun Sandhu, Adv. Ms. Muskan Khurana, Adv. Ms. Ashima Mandla, Adv. Ms. Mandakini Singh, Adv. Mr. Zeeshan Ahmad, Adv. Ms. Ankita Chaudhary, AOR Mr. Mukesh Kumar Verma, Adv. Mr. Anil Kumar Verma, AOR Mr. Ajay Agarwal, Adv. Mr. R.A. Worso Zimik, Adv. Mr. Dhiraj Abraham Philip, AOR Mr. Tripurari Ray, Adv. Mr. Balwant Singh Billowria, Adv. Mr. Vivekanand Singh, Adv. Mr. Anirudh Ray, Adv. Mr. Akshay Singh, Adv. Mr. M.s. Khan, Adv. Ms. Shilpa Singh, AOR

For Respondent(s) Mr. Lokesh Sinhal, Sr.AAG

Dr. Monika Gusain, AOR Mr. Neeraj, A.A.G. Mr. Piyush Beriwal, Adv. Mr. Ankit Raj, Adv. Mr. Rudra Paliwal, Adv. Mr. Deepanshu Badiwal, Adv. Mr. Vedansh Anand, Adv. Ms. Damini Garg, Adv. Dr. Monika Gusain, AOR Ms. Swati Ghildiyal, AOR Ms. Devyani Bhatt, Adv. Mr. Vikramjeet Banerjee, A.S.G. Ms. Swarupama Chaturvedi, Sr. Adv. Mr. Mukesh Kumar Maroria, AOR Ms. Sansriti Pathak, Adv. Mr. Merusagar Samantary, Adv. Mrs. Vanshaja Shukla, Adv. Ms. Megha Karanwal, Adv. Ms. Sairica Raju, Adv. Mr. Chitransh Sharma, Adv. Mr. Prashant Rawat, Adv. Mr. Ritwiz Rishabh, Adv. Mr. Parantap Singh, Adv. Mr. Harish Pandey, Adv. Mr. Anmol Chandan, Adv. Mr. Ayush Anand, Adv. Mr. Annam Venkatesh, Adv. Mr. Rajat Nair, Adv. Ms. Rashmi Mangal, Adv. Ms. Anju Thomas, Adv. Mr. Bhanu Mishra, Adv. Ms. Astha Sharma, AOR Ms. Lihzu Shiney Konyak, Adv. Ms. Mantika Haryani, Adv. Ms. Pratibha Yadav, Adv. Mr. Vikramjeet Banerjee, A.S.G. Mr. Alabhya Dhamija, Adv. Ms. Deepabali Dutta, Adv. Mrs. Sairica S Raju, Adv. Mr. Prashant Rawat, Adv. Mr. Anmol Chandan, Adv. Mrs. Swarupama Chaturvedi, Adv. Ms. Shivika Mehra, Adv. Mr. Prasanjeet Mohapatra, Adv. Mr. Ritwiz Rishabh, Adv. Ms. Ameyavikrama Thanvi, Adv. Mr. Sarthak Karol, Adv. Mr. Rajan Kumar Chourasia, Adv.

Mr. Arvind Kumar Sharma, AOR Mr. Nishe Rajen Shonker, AOR Mrs. Anu K Joy, Adv. Mr. Alim Anvar, Adv. Ms. Nandini Sen Mukherjee, AOR Ms. Megha Karnwal, AOR Mr. Pankaj Pandey, Adv. Mr. Girish Tripathi, Adv. Ms. Roohe Huina Dua, Adv. Mr. Ankit Khera, Adv. Mr. Harshit Khanduja, Adv.

UPON hearing the counsel the Court made the following O R D E R

1. In this batch of cases, the primary issue that arises for consideration is as to whether a chargesheet without the FSL/Examiner's Report in a NDPS case can be termed as an `incomplete Report' under Section 173 Cr.P.C.?

2. During the course of hearing, it so transpired that various other questions of paramount public importance, with regard to the fairness and efficacy of the trials under the NDPS Act, also need to be resolved. Some of these issues have also been formulated by one of the learned counsel for the petitioners.

3. One such issue pertains to the establishment of adequate FSL/Examiner Laboratories by the State Governments along with appointment of requisite technical staff to operate such laboratories. It seems to us that issues such as the current status of the FSL/Examiner's Laboratories, creation of a robust mechanism for submission of the FSL/Examiner's Reports within the stipulated period and the issue pertaining to follow up action taken by the States in compliance of the directions issued by this Court in Union of India vs. Mohan Lal & Anr., (2016) 3 SCC 379, etc. would require indepth consideration by us. Consequently, we propose to hear all the States and the Union Territories before any effective directions are issued.

4. We, therefore, direct the Registry to issue notices to

6

the Union of India, all the States and the Union Territories, returnable on 29.08.2024.

5. Notices re: prayer for interim bail be also issued, returnable on 29.08.2024.

6. The Union of India may be served through the Central Agency.

7. Liberty is granted to the petitioners to serve the States/Union Territories through their standing counsels as well.

8. The orders granting interim bail to the petitioners shall continue to operate until further orders.

9. Post these matters for hearing on 29.08.2024.

10. To be taken up at 3.00 p.m.

(SATISH KUMAR YADAV) (PREETHI T.C.) ADDITIONAL REGISTRAR ASSISTANT REGISTRAR