the samples of contraband substance at the court below. It is settled that the unexplained delay in producing the contraband substance and the samples drawn from it at the court is fatal to the prosecution case. The Apex Court in State of Uttar Pradesh v. Hansraj @ Hansu [(2018) 18 SCC 355] has held that when there is delay in producing samples of contraband substance in Court and when evidence is that they were kept in police station, prosecution has to adduce evidence to show as to how and in what condition the same were preserved at the police station. A Division Bench of this Court in Ravi v. State of Kerala [2011 (3) KLT 353] has held that even though law does not mandate production of seized articles forthwith before the Court and it enjoins only reporting the seizure forthwith to the Court, the production of the seized articles shall take place without unnecessary delay and if there is delay, it should be satisfactorily explained. A Single Bench of this Court in Ramankutty v. Excise Inspector [2013 (3) KHC 308] has held that in the absence of proper explanation for the delay, even one day's delay is fatal. Similar view has been expressed by another Single Bench
