Man gets 12-yr jail for possessing intoxicants

A special court headed by Chief Judicial Magistrate Aprajita Joshi in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar has convicted and sentenced Narinder Singh alias Nindi to 12 years in rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh, with a further one-year term in default, for possession of commercial quantity of contraband under Section 22 of the NDPS Act.

The case stemmed from an FIR registered at Balachaur in August 2019 when the police, acting on a tip-off, intercepted the accused carrying a black bag containing 100 Buprenorphine (Leegesic, totalling 200 ml, far above the 20 g threshold for commercial quantity) and 100 Pheniramine injections.

The seizure was effected in the presence of a DSP and the sealed parcels were produced before the magistrate and later confirmed by forensic analysis.

Rejecting the defence’s plea of false implication, and noting the delay in FSL deposit and non-compliance with Section 50 of the NDPS Act, Judge Aprajita Joshi held that the contraband was recovered from a bag, not from personal search, and that procedural safeguards including sealing and production before the magistrate were duly followed.

The court also observed that non-joining of independent witnesses was not fatal when police testimony was consistent and credible.

While the convict sought leniency, citing poverty and family hardship, the court underscored that “drugs destroy lives, drain potential and devastate families” and stressed the need for stern punishment in drug cases.

The judgment, pronounced on Tuesday directed that the period already undergone in custody be set off under Section 428 of the CrPC and the case property be disposed of as per rules after the appeal period.