Vanmaichelvan s/o Barsathi, 35, a supervisor with a cleaning company, faced a capital charge of trafficking 749.17 grams of cannabis and a second charge over 458.91 grams of cannabis mixture, both allegedly committed on 2 April 2004 in a cleaner’s store at the National Dental Centre to which his work gave him access.[1] He and S. Manogaran, accused of abetting him, claimed trial and were tried together.[1]
On the fourth day of the trial the prosecution amended the cannabis charge down to 499.99 grams, just under the 500-gram threshold for the mandatory death sentence; Vanmaichelvan then pleaded guilty and admitted hiding the drugs above a false ceiling in store 8-1 on the eighth floor, where officers recovered blocks and loose vegetable matter in a paper bag and foil wrappings.[1] He told officers the drugs belonged to an accomplice who had left them with him four or five days earlier.[1]
Sentence appeal fails
The judge sentenced him to 26 years’ imprisonment with 15 strokes of the cane, near the minimum of 20 years given the trade of a reduced charge for his plea.[1] On appeal Vanmaichelvan disavowed the mitigation his own counsel had offered, saying he had agreed to whatever was put to him to secure the deal and spare his life.[1] The court found the sentence was not crushing and dismissed the appeal on 22 April 2005.[1]
