Ropar man caught with banned drugs gets 10-year jail

The defence counsel opposed prosecution’s case and claimed that no recovery was effected from the conscious possession of the accused and that he was falsely implicated by the police

A special court in Mohali awarded 10-year rigorous imprisonment to a 38-year-old man arrested with contraband by Lalru police. The court also imposed a fine amounting to ₹1 lakh on him.

Police recovered 198 strips (each containing 60 tablets) of intoxicant Lomotil and recovered a total of 11,880 tablets from the accused. (iStock)

According to police, a patrolling party coming from Ambala side to Lehli Chowk saw Narinderjit Singh of Ropar carrying a brown-coloured backpack while standing on the side of the road around 6.30 pm on on January 30, 2020.

On seeing the cops, Singh got perplexed and started walking towards a railway line. On the basis of suspicion, the Police team apprehended him.

When checked, police recovered 198 strips (each containing 60 tablets) of intoxicant Lomotil and recovered a total of 11,880 tablets from the accused.

The defence counsel opposed prosecution’s case and claimed that no recovery was effected from the conscious possession of the accused and that he was falsely implicated by the police.

“All the writing work was done, while sitting in the police station and the accused, who had been apprehended one day prior, on January 29, 2020 by the CIA staff, has been falsely implicated in the present case. The recovery had already been effected as per the case of the prosecution also and the deputy superintendent of police (DSP) has been called just for the sake of formality,” the defence counsel submitted.

Meanwhile, the court observed that If the defence plead that the accused was already in custody and implicated falsely, then accused needed to describe the case and the reason he was in custody for.

“It is the plea of the accused that he had been apprehended by the CIA Sstaff a day before, but where from he was apprehended and why he had been apprehended, has not been explained. The huge recovery in the case will indicate that the accused was dealing in the drugs and this much of the quantity cannot be for any personal use. The cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act are on an alarming rise. It not only affects the health of young generation, but also has bearing on the social and moral fabric of the society as a whole,” special court judge Ajit Atri pronounced.