Staff Reporter
YUPIA, 10 Sep: The special NDPS court here in Papum Pare district has sentenced a woman to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment and her son to 20 years in jail for possessing a commercial quantity of heroin and running an interstate drug supply network from a hotel in Banderdewa.
Special Judge (NDPS) Dr Hirendra Kashyap sentenced Sahida Khatun alias Anju, a resident of Banderdewa, to 30 years' rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 3 lakh, while her son Faruk Ali was handed 20 years' rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs 2 lakh. The order on the sentence was pronounced on Wednesday.
The court had convicted the duo under Section 21(C) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act after holding that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that they possessed 21 packets containing 257.52 grams of heroin.
The case dates back to 21 May, 2021, when the Banderdewa police, acting on a tip-off, raided Hotel Holiday Inn in the presence of an executive magistrate. During the search, the police seized 21 packets of suspected heroin weighing 257.52 grams. Five persons were initially taken to the police station.
During the trial, the prosecution said Khatun was running the hotel while Ali, her son, was allegedly involved in procuring drugs from Nagaon in Assam and supplying them through a network of peddlers. The seized substance was subsequently confirmed as diacetyl morphine, or heroin, after forensic examination.
The court observed that Khatun was using the hotel as a centre for supplying drugs to youths in Arunachal Pradesh for illicit gain, while Ali procured the contraband from Assam and circulated it through a chain of peddlers. It also noted that the two were wanted in several NDPS cases linked to police stations in Assam.
While seeking leniency, the defence submitted that Khatun is a mother of minor children, and that Ali requires regular medical treatment.
The prosecution, however, opposed the plea and sought stringent punishment, citing their alleged involvement in other drug cases.
The court said Khatun was being convicted for a second time and imposed the enhanced 30-year sentence. In default of payment of the fines, Khatun will undergo another six months' simple imprisonment and Ali four months.
The period already spent by the two in custody will be set off against their sentences. They have also been informed of their right to appeal before the Gauhati High Court.