Srinagar: A city court here on Saturday sentenced two drug peddlers to five years rigorous imprisonment and imposed Rs 50,000 as fine on them under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) Act.
The court also ordered that in case the duo–Rafiq Ahmad Putoo of Saida Kadal Srinagar and Aqib Manzoor Bakhroo of Rainawari, failed to pay the fine amount, they shall undergo six months further simple imprisonment.
“The period of detention already undergone by the accused shall be set off against the sentence imposed, as per Section 428 of the Cr.PC,” ordered the Special Judge (NDPS cases) Srinagar Vinod Kumar.
According to prosecution, on 16 October 2020, a police party apprehended the duo at Khonakhan Dalgate when they tried to flee after seeing the policemen. Thereafter they were searched. Two packets of charas-like substance was recovered from one of them while 13 sticks wrapped with corn husk having charas-like substance were also found in possession of the second accused.
Investigation revealed that the two were going the sell the charas-like substance to the youth at high rates, the prosecution said.
The recovered material was sent to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the tests confirmed the apprehended substance to be charas, the prosecution said.
After completing the investigation, the police filed chargesheet and after trial, the court convicted the duo on the basis of evidence and witnesses.
The court held that the prosecution has discharged its burden of proving the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt for offenses under Sections 8 and 20(b)(ii)(C) of the NDPS Act,”.
While convicting the duo on March 30, 2025 the court said the charge under Section 29 is not substantiated due to lack of evidence.
On Saturday the court pronounced the quantum of punishment and awarded five years jail term and Rs 5k as fine on each of the convicted persons.
