A special court in Mohali has acquitted three accused in an NDPS Act case involving possession of 1.045 kg of heroin after statements of 10 prosecution witnesses, including DSP Gursher Singh Sandhu, were found contradictory and police officials failed to comply with the mandatory procedure for registering an NDPS Act case.Phase-1 police station officials arrested Sirsa residents Sachin Kumar and Jasbir Kaur with 500 gm of heroin each in Phase-7 Industrial Area on June 4, 2020. Their questioning led to the arrest of Kharar resident Raghbir Singh, from whom 45 gm of contraband was recovered a day later. However, all three claimed that they were picked up by cops from their houses.In court, DSP Sandhu stated that the police party had failed to find an independent witness near Industrial Area, Phase-7, Mohali, that day around 1.30 pm.A case under Sections 21 and 22 of the NDPS Act was registered at Phase-1 police station on June 4, 2020, and charges were framed on November 24, 2021, said defence counsel CS Bawa.During cross-examination, SI Pritpal Singh, the officiating SHO on the day, admitted that the sample seal was not produced before him.Prosecution witness DSP Gursher Singh stated that the investigating officer had made attempts to call some persons but no independent witness was ready to come.SI Jaspal Singh, the investigating officer in the case, admitted that he had not sent any person to call any independent witness from nearby. He also stated that he was not in a position to tell the colour of the alleged contraband, even though Gursher Sandhu had specified the contraband as cream in colour.Head Constable Sarabjit Singh, a recovery witness, deposed that they had not given any offer of search to the accused persons.ASI Gurpartap Singh stated that the colour of the contraband was brown/orange type. He also admitted that there were no shops or tin sheds near the alleged place of recovery and electricity for electronic equipment was obtained from the private vehicle of the IO.Senior LC Rajbir Kaur deposed in her cross-examination that she did not remember the exact time of affixing the seals on the recovered material.In its order dated September 28, the court concluded: “Doubt in prosecution story takes this court to the conclusion that investigating agency could not prove on record entire evidence which is required to prove the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable shadow of doubt, therefore, accused are hereby acquitted of the charges framed against them in this case.”In October 2024, DSP Gursher Sandhu was dismissed from the Punjab Police for facilitating an alleged interview of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi while in custody at CIA Staff, Kharar, on the intervening night of September 3 and 4, 2022, but was reinstated on court orders recently.