Supreme Court of India

The State of Punjab v. Baldev Singh

Neutral citation

Reported as [1999] 3 S.C.R. 977

Bench Dr. A.S. Anand, S.B. Majmudar, Sujata V. Manohar, B K. Venkataswami and V.N. Khare JJ.

Decided 21 July 1999

INSC stands for INDIAN SUPREME COURT. A neutral citation scheme assigned by the Court itself, so a judgment can be cited without depending on a commercial law reporter. INSC is the neutral citation scheme assigned by the Supreme Court, so a judgment can be cited without depending on a commercial law reporter.

27 Supreme Court benches have cited this judgment.

From the headnote

Criminal Law : Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 : c Section 50-Search-Provisions-Due compliance of-Held : It is imperative and obligatory for the Investigating Officer to inform the suspect of his right to be searched in the presence of a Gazetted Officer or a Magistrate-However, it is not necessary to give this information in writing; it is sufficient if it is communicated orally-Omission to give such information would not vitiate the trial but would render the recovery of illicit article illegal-The conviction and sentence, if recorded on the sole basis of possession of

Authorities it was built on

1994 Ali Mustaffa Abdul Rahman Moosa v. State of Kerala cited by 6

Where later benches applied it

2020 Tofan Singh v. State of Tamil Nadu relied on
2014 State of Rajasthan v. Parmanand & Anr. relied on
2013 Gurjant Singh @ Janta v. State of Punjab relied on
2012 Suresh & Ors. v. State of Madhya Pradesh relied on
2012 Ravi Yashwant v. District Collector, Raigad and Ors. relied on
2011 State of Delhi v. Ram Avtar@ Rama relied on
2008 Man Bahadur v. State of H.P. relied on
2025 Itc Limited v. State of Karnataka & Anr. followed
2024 Narcotics Control Bureau v. Kashif followed
2023 Ranjan Kumar Chadha v. State of Himachal Pradesh followed
2019 G H State of Punjab v. Baljinder Singh & Anr. followed
2014 Balwant Rai Saluja &anr. Etc. Etc. v. Air Indialtd. & Ors. followed
2025 Manoj Tejraj Jain v. State of Gujarat referred to
2024 Just Rights for Children Alliance & Anr. v. S. Harish & Ors. referred to
2023 Balwinder Singh (binda) v. The Narcotics Control Bureau referred to
2022 Vijay Madanlal Choudhary & Ors. v. Union of India & Ors. referred to
2022 Dayalu Kashyap v. The State of Chhattisgarh referred to
2020 Mukesh Singh v. State (narcotic Branch of Delhi) referred to
2018 S. K. Raju @ Abdul Haque @ Jagga v. State of West Bengal referred to
2018 Mohanlal v. The State of Punjab referred to
2018 Arif Khan @ Agha Khan v. State of Uttarakhand referred to
2016 Dilbagh Singh v. State of Punjab referred to
2016 State of Rajasthan v. Jag Raj Singh @ Hansa referred to
2014 State of H.P. v. Sunil Kumar referred to
2013 Urmila Devi v. Yudhvir Singh referred to
2012 Bar Council of India v. Union of India referred to
2020 Laxmibai v. The Collector, Nanded & Ors. distinguished

Of those, 7 relied on · 5 followed · 1 distinguished · 14 referred to

Sign in free to read it

The full judgment, page by page, as published in the Supreme Court Reports
The ratio: what the Court held, verbatim, with the page it sits on
Every bench that relied on it, and every bench that argued against it
Search every reported judgment, by party, citation or question
Download the PDF, copy pinpoint citations ready for a filing

An email address, no password.