Bhubaneswar: The Second Additional District Judge, cum Special Judge, Bhubaneswar, has sentenced three accused to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh each under the NDPS Act, 1985, for transporting contraband brown sugar.
The three convicts, namely Debasish Behera, Prabir Kumar Singh, and Sk Kausar Alli, would serve another year of imprisonment in default of the fine amount,the judge ordered Thursday.
According to the prosecution,the three accused persons were transporting contraband brown sugar in a Bolero vehicle on June 19, 2020, after procuring the same from West Bengal, when they were intercepted near Rasulgarh in Bhubaneswar.
During the search, huge quantities of contraband brown sugar weighing 4 Kg 458 gram and other incriminating materials were recovered and seized from their possession.
After a successful investigation, a charge sheet was submitted against the accused persons under Section 21(c)/29 of the of the NDPS Act, 1985.
The trial was conducted against the accused persons, and during the trial, the prosecution examined 13 witnesses and exhibited 79 documents.
The seized contraband Brown Sugar has already been destroyed as per the order of the court.
The STF is the specialized wing of Odisha Police to curb organized crime in the state.
Narcotic drugs are the main focus area of STF, and STF will continue its drive against such drug peddlers.
STF sources said this is the first case in Odisha where the accused persons were convicted of 20 years of imprisonment under the NDPS Act, 1985.
UNI