Myla Venkateswarlu vs State Of A.P

The Supreme Court held that the conviction under Section 8(c) read with Section 20(b)(i) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, was flawed due to a violation of procedural safeguards under Section 50 of the NDPS Act, which mandates that a person must be taken to a Gazetted Officer if requested before a search is conducted. The Court emphasized that failure to comply with this provision undermines the legality of the search and subsequent seizure of evidence. Consequently, the Court set aside the conviction and ordered the release of the appellant.