New Delhi: Two youths, who were found in possession of over 100 kg 'ganja', have been sentenced to 12 years rigorous imprisonment by a Delhi court.
Special NDPS Judge Dig Vinay Singh held Bihar natives Dayanand (26) and Rajeev Kumar (24) guilty under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and also imposed a fine of Rs 2.5 lakh on each of them.
"A total of 103.5 kg of ganja has been recovered. Under the NDPS Act, a quantity of 20 kg of ganja is 'commercial quantity' meaning that a quantity as much as five times higher than the 'commercial quantity' has been recovered from the convicts," the judge said, while relying on the prosecution witnesses including policemen in the raiding team and forensic experts.
The court, however, acquitted three other accused, saying that prosecution could not prove their guilt.
"Suspicion, however strong, cannot take place of proof," it said while giving them benefit of doubt.
According to prosecution, on April 17, 2011, officials of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Delhi police Crime Branch got a tip-off that Dayanand and Rajeev were scheduled to arrive near Mukarba Chowk here in an autorickshaw with huge quantity of ganja.
It said that a raid was conducted and both the youths were apprehended with five gunny bags containing 103.5 kg of contraband.
During the investigation, the police also recovered four pay-in slips reflecting that money was deposited in different accounts which were held in a bank in Odisha and three other persons were arrested, it said adding, they all were engaged in supplying ganja from Orissa to Delhi.
One person Dhurba Charan was declared a proclaimed offender by the police.
Dayanand and Rajeev pleaded innocence and sought leniency from court on the ground that they hailed from poor families and were first time offenders.
