Chandigarh: Himachal man caught with 60 gm heroin to spend 18 months in jail

The court of special judge Harsimranjit Singh also imposed a fine of ₹5,000 on the convict, Sanjay Kumar, alias Sethu, of Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh

Over two years after a Himachal Pradesh native was caught with 60 gm heroin in Mohali in March 2022, a special NDPS court has sentenced him to 18-month rigorous imprisonment.

After the court convicted Sethu, his counsel pleaded leniency, citing that he was poor and never convicted in any case. Sethu pleaded that his family was totally dependent upon him. (Getty image)

The court of special judge Harsimranjit Singh also imposed a fine of ₹5,000 on the convict, Sanjay Kumar, alias Sethu, of Hamirpur.

As per case files, on March 9, 2022, ASI Dharampal Singh, along with other police officials, was present near Kishanpura road in Bisanpura village, Zirakpur, when they spotted Sethu coming from Kishanpura side around 8.30 am.

On spotting the police party, the accused tried to slip away towards the fields, but he was apprehended by the police, who recovered a polythene containing 60 gm heroin from his possession.

After the court convicted Sethu, his counsel pleaded leniency, citing that he was poor and never convicted in any case. Sethu pleaded that his family was totally dependent upon him.

On the other hand, public prosecutor for the state opposed the plea on the grounds that by keeping narcotic substance in his possession, accused committed a very serious offence, as drugs were consuming thousands of innocent families.

Pronouncing the sentence, the court observed that provisions of the NDPS Act specifically prohibited grant of probation to convicts.