https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=156921 In a personal search under the NDPS Act based on prior information, the empowered officer must first inform the person of the right to be searched before the nearest Gazetted Officer or Magistrate. That safeguard is a mandatory part of Section 50 and must be effectively conveyed before the search. If the requirement is breached, the recovery becomes suspect; where conviction rests solely on contraband recovered from the person, the conviction and sentence cannot stand. Contraband seized in violation of Section 50 also cannot by itself prove unlawful possession or trigger the presumption under Section 54. en-us Wed, 21 Jul 1999 00:00:00 +0530 Thu, 09 Oct 2025 12:22:00 +0530 TaxTMI RSS Generator https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=156921 In a personal search under the NDPS Act based on prior information, the empowered officer must first inform the person of the right to be searched before the nearest Gazetted Officer or Magistrate. That safeguard is a mandatory part of Section 50 and must be effectively conveyed before the search. If the requirement is breached, the recovery becomes suspect; where conviction rests solely on contraband recovered from the person, the conviction and sentence cannot stand. Contraband seized in violation of Section 50 also cannot by itself prove unlawful possession or trigger the presumption under Section 54. Case-Laws Customs Wed, 21 Jul 1999 00:00:00 +0530 https://www.taxtmi.com/caselaws?id=156921