Mohali, Feb. 1 -- A Mohali court has acquitted an accused in a drug case after holding that the prosecution failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt due to non-compliance with mandatory legal provisions and lapses during the investigation. The accused, Varun, a resident of Kharar, was facing trial for allegedly being in conscious possession of 31 grams of heroin. According to the prosecution, the recovery was made on November 16, 2018, near a gurdwara in Phase-5, Mohali. The accused pleaded innocence and claimed false implication. After the completion of the prosecution evidence, he opted not to lead any defence evidence. While examining the case, the court found that the mandatory provisions of Section 50 (conditions of search) of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act were not complied with in their true spirit. The court noted that the consent memo prepared at the time of the search was defective, as the investigating officer gave only a partial offer by mentioning a search before a magistrate but failed to include the option of being searched before another gazetted officer, which is required under law. The court further observed that no independent witness was joined in the investigation, despite the alleged recovery having taken place in a public place accessible to the general public. The court held that the non-joining of independent witnesses, without a satisfactory explanation, created doubt about the manner of recovery and investigation. Additionally, the court found a violation of Section 52 of the NDPS Act, noting that the case property was not produced before the SHO before being presented in court. The court held that this procedural lapse raised concerns regarding the safe custody and integrity of the case property. In view of these shortcomings, the court granted the benefit of doubt to the accused and acquitted him of the charges....