In Bengaluru, the Karnataka High Court has criticized three police officers for wrongly charging two students under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, despite a forensic science laboratory (FSL) report proving their innocence. The students, Hanumantha and Manjunatha from Gunjur near Varthur, were once accused of consuming ganja near Krupanidhi College in the city's tech corridor. The court expressed concern over how their lives were adversely affected by these false allegations. Justice M Nagaprasanna, presiding over the case, has ordered disciplinary actions or departmental inquiries against the involved police officers — the station house officer, the complaint-filing officer, and the investigating officer. The court has requested a report on the actions taken within 12 weeks. The incident occurred on August 11, 2019, when a probationary officer, Raj Kumar, reported catching the students allegedly consuming ganja. Blood samples were taken but later found to contain no narcotics. Nevertheless, the investigating officer proceeded to file a chargesheet under the NDPS Act. This led to the students losing job opportunities, including those overseas. The SHO of Varthur police station admitted the mistake in filing the chargesheet during court proceedings. Justice Nagaprasanna highlighted several irregularities in the case.The judge pointed out how the petitioners are still suffering as a result of the failure of the police to send the alleged 15 grams of marijuana 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 highlighted the malicious conduct evident in the case. Despite the FSL report clearly stating that the blood samples did not contain any illegal substances, the police inaccurately recorded otherwise in the chargesheet. The judge emphasized that the officers involved should not escape accountability for jeopardizing the lives of the young students, directing the disciplinary authority to initiate a departmental inquiry. Additionally, a directive was issued for a circular to be released by the competent authority, mandating all empowered officers to strictly adhere to the NDPS Act's Sections 50 and 52A, as well as the Supreme Court's interpretation in the Ranjan Kumar Chadha case. Failure to comply would result in disciplinary action. The court emphasized the need to combat drug-related issues while respecting legal protocols. Justice Nagaprasanna warned that any procedural violations could potentially lead to the dismissal of proceedings against the accused, creating loopholes for their escape.