Shimla/ Solan, Jan 9,
Manoj Kumar, a resident of Rahechi village in Kullu district, has been convicted under Section 20 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act by the Special Judge-II, Solan, Sh. Pankaj. He has been sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹25,000. In case of default in payment of the fine, he will serve an additional six months of simple imprisonment.
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According to Sanjay Pandit, District Attorney, Solan, the case dates back to March 29, 2018, when HC Naveen Kumar and a team of police officials from Police Station Sadar, Solan, were patrolling near Kali Mata Mandir in Shamti. At around 12:15 AM, the accused, carrying a pithoo bag, was spotted behaving suspiciously and tried to flee on seeing the police. “The police team apprehended him, and upon searching his bag, found 450 grams of Charas concealed in a yellow polythene bag,” stated Pandit.
“The recovered contraband was seized, and a chargesheet was filed after thorough investigation. The prosecution examined nine witnesses to establish the case,” he added. The trial was conducted by Chander Sagar Negi, Learned Public Prosecutor, and the court, after hearing arguments from both sides, found the accused guilty.
This conviction highlights the efforts of the Solan police and judiciary in their ongoing crackdown on drug-related crimes in the region.
