Two men get 10-yr jail term for possessing 100 kg 'ganja'

New Delhi: A Delhi court has sentenced two persons to ten years rigorous imprisonment for possessing and conspiring to transport 100 kg ‘ganja’, saying the crime entails a harsh punishment.

The court handed down the jail term to Bihar native Vir Bahadur and Jamshed from Delhi for offences under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act and also imposed a fine of Rs two lakh each.

“It is generally noticed that in cases where drugs are supplied to consumers, the main drug peddlers go scott free and the conduit used by such peddlers, who are invariably poor people, get caught.

“The harsh punishment provided for offence under the NDPS Act is an indication that offences are to be considered very serious in nature, but while awarding sentence, the court has also to keep in mind, if there is any chance of reformation of the convicts,” Special NDPS Judge A K Kuhar said.

The judge noted that in this case, the convicts were the carriers, “who became part and parcel of the conspiracy” to deal in supply and transportation of the narcotic substance.

According to the prosecution, the Delhi Police Crime Branch received a secret information that on the night of October 6, 2011, Jamshed and his associate Vir Bahadur would be coming in a car near Delhi-Noida-Delhi flyway to supply the contraband.

A raid was conducted and both the accused were nabbed with four packets of 25 kg ganja each.

During the trial, they denied the allegations levelled agaisnt them and claimed to have been falsely implicated by the police.

The court, however, relied on the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses who were police officials and said there were no material contradictions in their statement.