Mohali court sentences woman to 54-day jail in 2022 drug case

The convict was arrested from Kharar bus stand when 3kg opium was recovered from the accused during checking

A Mohali court has sentenced a woman to 54 days of rigourous imprisonment in an NDPS case involving recovery of 3 Kg opium, while acquitting the co-accused after holding that the prosecution failed to establish his role in the offence.

The seized contraband was sealed, samples were drawn through court proceedings, and the Forensic Science Laboratory report confirmed the substance to be opium. (File)

The convict has been identified as Nisha, a resident of Kharar.

The case dates back to November 23, 2022. A police team led by the investigating officer apprehended the woman at bus stand in Kharar. During a search police recovered 3 kg of opium enclosed in a polythene bag from her possession. The seized contraband was sealed, samples were drawn through court proceedings, and the Forensic Science Laboratory report confirmed the substance to be opium.

The court observed that the prosecution had successfully proved recovery, sealing, safe custody and dispatch of the samples.

However, with regard to the co-accused, the court observed that his name surfaced only during investigation and that the prosecution failed to produce any independent material to establish his involvement. The court noted that there was no disclosure statement, call detail record or other corroborative evidence to attract liability under Section 29 of the NDPS Act. The court held that mere relationship with the convicted accused could not, by itself, establish criminal conspiracy.

Considering the period already undergone in custody, the court sentenced the convicted woman to imprisonment for the period already undergone and imposed a fine.