Illegality in Search Does Not Automatically Render Collected Evidence Invalid: Supreme Court

In a significant judgment delivered on 23 February 2026, the Supreme Court clarified an important legal principle regarding search and seizure. A Bench comprising Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan held that even if a search is found to be illegal due to lack of proper authorisation, the materials or evidence collected during such search do not automatically become invalid. The Court emphasized that admissibility of evidence depends on…