A fast-track court under India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in Panipat sentenced Kullu resident Sundar Singh to four years of rigorous imprisonment for smuggling 400 grams of charas, a cannabis resin.[1] The court also imposed a fine of 60,000 rupees on him.[1] He faces one additional year in prison if he does not pay the fine.[1] Singh is a resident of Tandi village in Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh.[1]
Police caught Singh at the Panipat bus stand during a patrol on 16 December 2020.[1] A search recovered 400 grams of charas from his possession.[1] He told police he had brought the charas from Himachal Pradesh to sell in Panipat.[1] Sector-29 police station police then registered a case against him under the NDPS Act.[1]
The case was heard in the fast-track court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Yogesh Chaudhary.[1] His defence sought leniency because Singh has no prior criminal record, is his family’s sole earner, has ailing elderly parents and supports two daughters.[1] The government lawyer sought a strict sentence, citing the seriousness of the offence and the harmful effects of drugs on society.[1] After hearing both sides, the court imposed the four-year prison term and the 60,000-rupee fine.[1]