New Delhi: Jailed drug traffickers should be sensitised to the pain and agonies of drug addicts by making them visit periodically to hospitals and drug de-addiction centres and see how many people suffer at their hands, a Delhi court has said.
Additional Sessions Judge Narinder Kumar made the remark while sentencing a drug trafficker to ten years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for being found in possession of over 2 kg of charas for selling here in 2010.
While handing down the punishment, the ASJ said, "Although the convict has been sentenced to rigorous imprisonment as provided by the NDPS Act, this court finds that such convicted drug traffickers also need to be sensitised about the ill-effects or narcotic drugs in which they deal so as to give a jolt to their conscience, by making them feel and realise how many persons suffer at their hands because of consumption or intake of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, which they supply."
Noting that "drug addiction has tuned into an epidemic where not only the addict suffers pain and agonies but his family also feels the pain and humiliation," it stressed upon the "need for sensitising drug traffickers to the condition of drug addicts, wherever they are, either struggling for life in their homes or somewhere in the hospital."
"Convicts in such cases, while they undergo sentence in jail, can also be taken to hospitals, drug de-addiction centres periodically or at the jail itself they can be shown visuals of such instances so that they can themselves see the pain and agony of the victims of drug menace as the visuals would leave an indelible impression on their minds," it added.
"Although NDPS Act does not contain any such provision, it is for the government and all the concerned authorities, including prison authorities, to ponder over as to the manner in which such drug traffickers can be sensitised to the pain and agonies of a drug addict so that when such convicts become free from jail, they do not opt for such nefarious trade," the court added.
PTI
