Court shows leniency towards remorseful drug peddler

A Delhi court has sentenced a man to nine months in jail, a period already undergone by him behind bars, for possessing 12 kgs of cannabis (ganja), taking a lenient view towards him after he showed remorse.
Special NDPS Judge Satinder Kumar Gautam passed the order holding Naresh, a Delhi resident, guilty of offences under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on him.
"I have asked the convict personally, he is remorseful and I can see the chance of his improving his conduct and abstaining from such activity in future. The convict is now aware that if a person is apprehended for dealing in narcotic substance, he may face imprisonment up to ten years.

"The deterrence is reflecting on the face of the convict. I intend to give the convict an opportunity to fall in line with the law of the land. Therefore, instead of sending him to prison now, where he would be further exposed to criminal elements, I intend to burden him financially so that he can feel the pinch of the sentence," the judge said.
According to the prosecution, the accused was apprehended on April 14, 2011 with 12 kgs of cannabis wrapped in a plastic bag near Rose Garden in South Delhi.
The court, while convicting him, relied on the testimony of police officers and said "there is no evidence brought on record in what manner the investigation has been biased and tainted."

The accused had denied the allegations and claimed he was made to sign blank papers by the police and was implicated in the case.
The court, however, rejected his claim while noting that the accused was apprehended by a police patrol party and not a raiding team with secret information.