Early Times Report
Udhampur, Oct 19: The Principal Sessions Judge of Udhampur has convicted two individuals, Harjinder Singh and Samarjeet Singh, both residents of Jalandhar, Punjab, in a case related to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The court has sentenced both accused to undergo ten years of rigorous imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 1.00 lakh each.
The case, registered as FIR No. 526/2018 under Sections 8/15 of the NDPS Act at the Udhampur Police Station, dates back to August 15, 2018. On this day, a routine police checkpoint at Jakhani Chowk stopped a Mahindra Bolero vehicle (registration number PB08DG-7125) with a towed Tata Mobile vehicle (registration number PB 08EB 1537) for inspection. The Tata Mobile was being driven by Harjinder Singh and was found to contain seven plastic sacks, which collectively held 126.5 kgs of poppy straw, a contraband substance. This contraband was tied to the vehicle bearing registration number PB08DG 7124 (a Mahindra Bolero), which was driven by Samarjeet Singh. Accompanying Samarjeet Singh was an individual named Bittu Singh.
Following this discovery, a case was filed at the Udhampur Police Station under the NDPS Act. The subsequent investigation led to the filing of chargesheets against the accused individuals, including Bittu Singh. However, Bittu Singh was declared a juvenile by the court, and the prosecution was directed to separate his case for adjudication by the Juvenile Justice Board in Udhampur.
After a thorough judicial process, the Principal District and Sessions Judge of Udhampur convicted both Harjinder Singh and Samarjeet Singh. The court handed down a sentence of ten years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1.00 lakh each on both individuals.
This conviction and sentencing serve as a significant step in combating drug-related offenses and upholding the NDPS Act’s provisions. |
