In Bengaluru, the Karnataka High Court has reprimanded three police officers for wrongfully accusing two students under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Despite a forensic science laboratory report proving the students' innocence, the officers proceeded to file a false chargesheet. The court, while addressing a petition from students residing near Varthur, expressed grave concerns over the impact of false allegations on their lives. The officers involved, including the station house officer, the complainant officer, and the investigating officer, were ordered to face disciplinary action or a departmental inquiry. The court requested an action report within 12 weeks. The incident occurred in August 2019 when a probationary cop reported catching the students allegedly consuming ganja near a college. Subsequently, blood samples were taken from the students, but the FSL report revealed no presence of narcotics. Despite this, a chargesheet was filed, leading to the students facing legal summons and suffering personal and professional consequences, including missed job opportunities. The SHO admitted the mistake in court, acknowledging the chargesheet was inconsistent with the FSL report. Justice Nagaprasanna observed various irregularities in the case, emphasizing the need for justice.The judge highlighted the impact of three officers' actions on the petitioners, mentioning the failure to send the alleged 15 grams of ganja to the FSL, the lack of proper seizure records, and the omission of complainant Raj Kumar from the list of witnesses in the chargesheet. The judge noted the maliciousness evident in the records, pointing out discrepancies between the FSL report and what was presented in the chargesheet. The judge indicated that the officers involved should face a departmental inquiry for jeopardizing the lives of the young students. Additionally, the judge directed the competent authority to issue a circular mandating the adherence to specific sections of the NDPS Act and the Supreme Court's interpretation in the Ranjan Kumar Chadha case, with disciplinary action threatened for non-compliance. Emphasizing the importance of combatting drug crimes while following legal procedures, the judge warned that any procedural violations could lead to the dismissal of proceedings against the accused due to errors by empowered officers.