4 convicted for running major drug racket

In a major judgment under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the Special Court of Judge Barinder Singh Ramana has sentenced four persons involved in a drug racket, including the kingpin Sahil Jindal, to varying jail terms ranging from 10 to 15 years.

Sahil Jindal (30) resident of Jagat Nagar, Haibowal, Ludhiana, has been sentenced to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment with fine of Rs 3 lakh in a case involving the supply of over 32,200 tablets and capsules, containing psychotropic substances. The court also noted that Jindal was a repeat offender, having been previously convicted in another NDPS case.

Another convict, Nitin Chhabra alias Kaka (38), son of Ram Kishan Chhabra, resident of Karnal, Haryana, has been sentenced to 12 years and was directed to pay Rs 2 lakh. Two other convicts—Tushar Gautam (23) of New Hargobind Nagar, Ludhiana, and Sumit Makkar (26) of Janta Colony, Basti Jodhewal, Ludhiana—have each been sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, along with a fine of Rs 2 lakh each.

“The State of Punjab is battling an alarming drug crisis. Youth are falling prey to the lure of easy money through the drug trade, which in turn has led to a rise in crime,” the court observed.

Judge Ramana further noted that the investigating team had conducted a commendable probe, meticulously establishing the chain of supply and evidence linking all four convicts. However, co-accused Kuldeep Sharma was acquitted as the prosecution failed to prove a case against him, beyond reasonable doubt.

According to Additional Public Prosecutor Monika Gupta, the case was registered on April 26, 2022, at Police Station Jamalpur under the NDPS Act.

Acting on secret information, a raid was conducted at a rented accommodation in Krishna Colony, Bhamian Khurd, Ludhiana. Accused Tushar Gautam and Sumit Makkar were apprehended on the spot, and a significant quantity of psychotropic tablets and capsules was recovered.

Further investigation revealed that the drugs were being routed through a courier agency, Anjani Courier, located at Kailash Nagar Chowk. The accused used fake names to collect parcels. Tushar Gautam, for instance, used the alias Vikram to sign for parcels that were later traced to Sahil Jindal’s illegal distribution network.

Disclosures made by the accused revealed that Sahil Jindal was orchestrating the operations while in custody. He was aided by his maternal uncle and co-accused Nitin Chhabra, who supplied the prohibited medicines under the guise of Sahil Medicos. The drug money was deposited into Chhabra’s bank account, details of which were only known to Jindal, further confirming the deep-rooted nexus.