Filing of a Charge Sheet under the NDPS Act, 1985 read with section 173 of the Cr. P.C., 1973 without the Forensic Science Laboratory Reports – Its Implications and the Rulings of different High Courts – An Analysis

In the recent past, under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985, which is a special Act, on account of the difficulties being faced by FSL, the empowered officers of empowered departments have been filing charge sheet without annexing the final conformity test report of the Forensic Science Laboratory to the charge sheet under section 173(2) of Criminal Procedure Code, 1973. There has been divergence of views amongst various High Courts on the issue and this article analyses the issues involved extensively.