Punjab-based narco smugglers sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment by Udhampur Court

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: In a significant legal verdict, Principal District & Sessions Judge Udhampur, Haq Nawaz Zargar, has handed down a sentence of 10 years of rigorous
imprisonment to two Punjab-based narco smugglers, Harjinder Singh and Semarjeet Singh, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
The convicted individuals, Harjinder Singh, residing at Lane no. 5, Mao Sahib, Phillour, Bilga District Jalandhar, Punjab, and Semarjeet Singh, a resident of Talban, Tehsil Phillour, District Jalandhar, Punjab, were apprehended by a Nakka Party at Jakhani in Udhampur, along the Jammu-Srinagar Highway. They were intercepted while transporting a commercial quantity of poppy straw, weighing 126.5 kilograms, contained in seven white plastic bags, loaded in a Tata Mobile vehicle with registration No. PB08EB-1537. The interception took place on October 15, 2018, while they were en route from Srinagar to Punjab.
Following the investigation, a challan was filed against the accused on December 31, 2018, and on May 27, 2019, they were formally charged with the commission of offenses punishable under Sections 8 r/w 15 (c), 29 of the NDPS Act based on the available evidence.
In the courtroom, Public Prosecutor KoshalKotwal represented the state, and the prosecution presented the testimony of ten witnesses. One witness was excluded by the prosecution, and the defense counsel accepted five witnesses.
During the sentencing, Principal Sessions Judge Udhampur, Haq Nawaz Zargar, remarked that the crimes for which both convicts were found guilty are heinous and affect society as a whole, particularly young individuals and other vulnerable sections. Therefore, showing leniency to the convicts would be unjust to the innocent public, including children, who could be harmed by this menace. Taking into account both aggravating and mitigating circumstances, the court imposed sentences on both accused.
Harjinder Singh, residing at Lane no. 5, Mao Sahib, Phillour, Bilga District Jalandhar, Punjab, has been sentenced to ten years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs. 1.00 lakh for the commission of offenses under Sections 8/15 of the NDPS Act. Similarly, Semarjeet Singh, the son of Kewal Singh and a resident of Talban, Tehsil Phillour, District Jalandhar, Punjab, has been sentenced to ten years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs. 1.00 lakh for offenses under Sections 8/15 of the NDPS Act. In the event of their failure to pay the fine, both convicts will serve an additional one-year term of rigorous imprisonment.
This verdict serves as a significant step in addressing narco smuggling and its associated challenges within the region.