Singer Vadda Garewal acquitted in NDPS case, court questions police investigation

September 10, 2026

Mohali: A special court in Mohali has acquitted singer Gurinderpal Singh alias Vadda Garewal, a resident of Kamomajra Kalan, Sangrur, in a case registered under the NDPS Act. The court granted the accused the benefit of the doubt after finding serious deficiencies in the prosecution’s evidence and witness statements.

The court’s decision weakened the recovery and investigation story presented by the Sohana police station. The police had claimed to have recovered 30 grams of opium from the accused.

Allegations of rivalry with the police due to his closeness to Eli Mangat

Gurinderpal Singh is said to be close to Punjabi singer Eli Mangat (Harkirat Singh Mangat). During the trial, the accused claimed that he had uploaded several videos on YouTube in support of Eli Mangat.

After a case was filed against Eli Mangat on September 10, 2019, based on a complaint by the Randhawa Brothers, the accused had made videos in his support. The police believed that these videos and Eli Mangat’s support were the reason for the large gathering outside Purab Premium Apartments.

The accused alleged that this was the reason the Sohana police station held a grudge against him and filed a case against him based on a false seizure of opium.

Why did the police’s story weaken in court?

Several significant flaws in the prosecution’s case were revealed before the court:

1. The accused’s possession of the bag was not proven: The accused was admitted to room number 412 of the hospital. The room had two beds, and the bag from which the opium was claimed to have been recovered was not on the accused’s bed. The police also found no identification or personal belongings of the accused in the bag.

2. The possibility of the bag belonging to someone else: Investigating officer SI Harjinder Singh admitted that there was a possibility that the bag belonged to another person. No concrete evidence was found in the records linking the accused to the bag.

3. Hospital records were not examined: The police did not record statements from hospital staff or examine the visitor register. According to the court, this could have helped determine who else had visited the room besides the accused.

4. Changes in police witness statements: Acting station house officer SI Burma Singh’s statement revealed contradictions. He initially stated that the accused was produced before him at the police station, while later he stated that only case property was brought to the police station.

5. Questions about NDPS Act procedures: The court also found that the required procedures under sections 42 and 57 of the NDPS Act were not followed. No independent person from the hospital was made a witness during the search.

6. No scientific evidence of drug abuse: The police did not send the accused’s samples to the Forensic Science Laboratory. Dr. Lovely Mann, the doctor who prepared the dope test report, was also not presented as a witness in court.

7. Excessive alcohol consumption also came to light: The investigating officer admitted that during the investigation, it was revealed that the accused was admitted to the hospital due to excessive alcohol consumption.

Information received from the hospital on April 15, 2020

The case dates back to April 15, 2020. On that day, Sohana police station received a letter from Shri Harkrishna Hospital. It stated that Gurinderpal Singh alias Vadda Garewal was admitted to room number 412 on the fourth floor of the hospital due to a drug overdose.

After receiving the information, a police team led by SI Harjinder Singh reached the hospital. The accused was found on the bed, and during questioning, he identified himself as Gurinderpal Singh alias Vadda Garewal.

Police claimed to have recovered 30 grams of opium

According to the police, after suspicion arose about a bag in the room, the accused was informed of his rights under Section 50 of the NDPS Act. Police stated that the accused expressed confidence in the investigating officer instead of requesting a search in the presence of a magistrate or gazetted officer.

The bag was then searched, and police claimed to have recovered 30 grams of opium wrapped in polythene. The opium was weighed on an electronic scale, prepared into a parcel, sealed, and seized.

The accused was arrested after an FIR was registered

The police sent a receipt to Sohana police station through constable Darshan Singh, based on which FIR number 145 was registered. Subsequently, the police prepared a site plan of the crime scene and prepared an arrest memo and personal search memo for the accused.

However, based on the shortcomings in the prosecution’s evidence and witness statements revealed during the trial, the court acquitted the accused, giving him the benefit of the doubt.