Knowledge Cannot Be Presumed From Ownership, Acquittal in 348-Kg Poppy Straw Case Upheld: Rajasthan High Court

The Rajasthan High Court has ruled that merely being the owner or registered owner of a vehicle from which narcotic contraband is recovered is not sufficient to establish criminal liability under Section 25 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act). The Court held that the prosecution must produce material showing that the vehicle owner knowingly permitted the vehicle to be used for committing an offence under…