Special court sent three youths to 10 years jail in drug trafficking case

Chennai: A special court in Chennai sentenced three youths to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment for drug trafficking. The case was heard by a special court constituted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

According to the prosecution, on September 13, 2020, Royapettah Police Station had received a secret information about drug trafficking. Based on the information, a police team went to Lloyds Road, Chennai and kept an eye on suspicious activities.

Based on suspicion, the police team stopped an auto and interrogated three youths traveling in the auto, Vijay Dinesh, Geetan and Ganesh.

Later, police found 25 kg of ganja, a narcotic substance, hidden in gunny bags. Hence, the police arrested all the accused under various sections of the NDPS Act, 1985.

However the accused declared himself innocent. The defense counsel argued that the prosecution failed to produce independent witnesses and there was a delay of 72 hours in sending the sample of the seized banned substance to the laboratory. Therefore, the lawyer demanded the release of all the accused.

However the court found all the accused guilty under sections 8(c), 20(b)(ii)c of the NDPS Act and section 235(2) of the CrPC. The court sentenced him to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1000. A fine of Rs 1 lakh will be imposed on each.