Mohali: Jharkhand man gets 15-year jail in drug case

The special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court of Ajit Atri also imposed a fine of ₹1.5 lakh on Moramunda of Khunti, Jharkhand

A special court awarded 15-year rigorous imprisonment to a Jharkhand resident from whom Lalru police had recovered 5 kg opium in 2022.

Pleading not guilty before the court, Moramunda alleged that he was falsely implicated in the case and no recovery was made from him. (HT Photo)

The special Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) court of Ajit Atri also imposed a fine of ₹1.5 lakh on Moramunda of Khunti, Jharkhand.

On April 8, 2022, a patrolling party had nabbed him with a bag containing the drugs in Lalru.

Pleading not guilty before the court, Moramunda alleged that he was falsely implicated in the case and no recovery was made from him.

After being convicted, he asked for leniency, pleading that he is married and has two daughters, who are dependent upon him as he is the sole earner in his family.

Notably, the accused was earlier also convicted by a Ludhiana special court on May 30, 2019, in another NDPS case registered at the GRP police station.

Pronouncing the sentence, the court observed, “Since the accused has also admitted the factum of his conviction in another FIR, hence, he is liable for enhanced punishment. The young adults become more prone to the use of such drugs which further leads them to various crimes. The cases under the NDPS Act are on alarming rise. It not only affects the health of the young generation, but also has bearing on the social and moral fabric of the society as a whole.”