19-year-old Dhanas youth sentenced to 10-year RI in NDPS case

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 17

A local court has sentenced a youth to 10-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) and imposed a fine of Rs1 lakh on him after convicting him in a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act case.

Kishan Chanchal (19), a resident of Dhanas, was arrested on July 1, 2018, near the Mullanpur barrier. The investigating officer conducted a search of his carry bag which yielded 13 injections of Buprenorphine (2 ml each) and 13 injections of Pheniramine Maleate (10 ml each). On completion of investigation, a challan was presented against the accused. Prima facie, a case for the commission of an offence punishable under Section 22 of the NDPS Act, 1985, was made out against the accused. He was charged accordingly to which he pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

The accused denied the allegations. He pleaded innocence and stated that he had been falsely implicated. However, the accused did not adduce any evidence in his defence. After hearing the arguments, Dr Rajneesh, Judge, Special Court, held Kishan guilty and sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for a period of 10 years. In default of payment of the fine, he will further undergo rigorous imprisonment for another one year.

“Drug addiction destroys the trait of appreciation of a person, who cannot differentiate between fair and unfair and commits the heinous crime, resulting in day by day increase of tendency of committing the heinous crime with the addiction of drugs. The need of the hour is to choke the supply of the drugs and to curb it with a heavy hand,” says the court the order.

The court says that the period of detention already undergone by the convict, during the course of investigation or trial, shall be set off against the sentence of imprisonment imposed upon him, as per the provisions of section 428 CrPC.

Material seized

According to the investigation officer, 13 injections of buprenorphine (2 ml each) and 13 injections of pheniramine maleate (10 ml each) were recovered from the youth’s carry bag.