Mohali Court Awards 12-Year Jail Term to Two Men in 175 kg Poppy Husk Case

Mohali- A special court in Mohali has sentenced two men to 12 years of rigorous imprisonment each after convicting them in a narcotics case involving the recovery of 175 kg of poppy husk.

The judgment was delivered by the court of Special Judge Harsimranjit Singh, which found Narinder Singh (42) and Sikander Singh (37) guilty under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act for possessing a commercial quantity of contraband. Both were also fined ₹1.5 lakh each.

According to the prosecution, the accused were intercepted at a police checkpoint on Airport Road near Satsang Bhawan in Zirakpur on August 22, 2024. The duo, travelling in an SUV, allegedly tried to evade the checkpoint but were quickly apprehended by the police team on duty.

A subsequent search of the vehicle, carried out in accordance with legal procedures and in the presence of a gazetted officer, led to the discovery of seven plastic sacks stored in the boot. Each sack contained 25 kg of poppy husk, bringing the total seizure to 175 kg.

During the trial, one of the accused claimed he was unaware of the contents and had merely accepted a lift. However, the court rejected this defence, observing that such a large quantity of narcotics could not have gone unnoticed by anyone present in the vehicle.

The court relied on forensic reports confirming the seized substance as narcotic material and classified it under “commercial quantity,” which attracts stringent punishment under the NDPS Act.

While the prosecution sought strict sentencing citing the seriousness of drug-related offences, the defence pleaded for leniency, arguing that both convicts were primary earners for their families. The court, however, deemed the offence grave and imposed a 12-year jail term along with the monetary penalty.

In case of non-payment of the fine, the convicts will face an additional six months of imprisonment. The court also allowed the period already spent in custody during investigation and trial to be adjusted against the sentence.