Indian Kanoon - Search engine for Indian Law

27. Regard being had to the aforesaid factual score, reference to a two-Judge Bench decision in Harjit Singh v. State of Punjab6, would be apt. In the said case 7.10 kgs. of opium was ceased from the accused. A contention was raised before this Court that the opium recovered from the appellant weighing 7.10 kgs. contained 0.8% morphine, that is, 56.96 gms. and hence, the quantity was below the commercial quantity. The two-Judge Bench referred to the pronouncement in E. Micheal Raj (supra) and referred to various Entries in the notification, namely, Entry 77 that deals with morphine, Entry 92 that deals with opium and Entry 93 that deals with opium derivatives. The Court posed the question whether the case would fall under Entry 92 or Entry 93 or any other Entry. The Court referred to the definition of opium under the NDPS Act, the chemical analysis made by the Forensic Science Laboratory, took note of the percentage of morphine, the amendment brought in 2001 and came to hold thus:-

"21. In the instant case, the material recovered from the appellant was opium. It was of a commercial quantity and could not have been for personal consumption of the appellant. Thus the appellant being in possession of the contraband substance had violated the provisions of Section 8 of the NDPS Act and was rightly convicted under Section 18(b) of the NDPS Act. The instant case squarely falls under clause (a) of Section 2(xv) of the NDPS Act and clause (b) thereof is not attracted for the simple reason that the substance recovered was opium in the form of the coagulated juice of the opium poppy. It was not a mixture of opium with any other neutral substance. There was no preparation to produce any new substance from the said coagulated juice. For the purpose of imposition of punishment if the quantity of morphine in opium is taken as a decisive factor, Entry 92 becomes totally redundant.

22. Thus, as the case falls under clause (a) of Section 2(xv), no further consideration is required on the issue. More so, opium derivatives have to be dealt with under Entry 93, so in case of pure opium falling under clause (a) of Section 2(xv), determination of the quantity of morphine is not required. Entry 92 is exclusively applicable for ascertaining whether the quantity of opium falls within the category of small quantity or commercial quantity."

Eventually, in paragraph 25 the Court held thus:-

"25. The notification applicable herein specifies small and commercial quantities of various narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for each contraband material. Entry 56 deals with heroin, Entry 77 deals with morphine, Entry 92 deals with opium, Entry 93 deals with opium derivatives and so on and so forth. Therefore, the notification also makes a distinction not only between opium and morphine but also between opium and opium derivatives. Undoubtedly, morphine is one of the derivatives of the opium. Thus, the requirement under the law is first to identify and classify the recovered substance and then to find out under what entry it is required to be dealt with. If it is opium as defined in clause (a) of Section 2(xv) then the percentage of morphine contents would be totally irrelevant. It is only if the offending substance is found in the form of a mixture as specified in clause (b) of Section 2(xv) of the NDPS Act, that the quantity of morphine contents becomes relevant."