Gujarat court gives 15 year jail, 1.5 lakh fine to 2 Kashmiri smugglers in Rs 11 crore Charas case

Ahmedabad:

A special court here today awarded 15 years rigorous jail terms and fine of Rs 1.5 lakhs to each of the two Kashmiri smugglers who were nabbed by the Narcotics Control Bureau here around seven years ago with 110 kg Charas worth over Rs 11 crores.

Additional Sessions Judge Rahul P S Raghav of the designated NDPS court here pronounced jail terms for Mohmmad Farooq Md Quasim resident of village Chhejila Mankot, Tehsil Mendar, district Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir and Istiyaq Ahmeda Md Aziz resident of village Chhunga, tehsil Mendar, district Poonch, J & K finding them guilty under section 8 (c) read with section 20 (b)(ii)(c) r/w section 29 of the NDPS Act 1985.
The court also fined them with Rs 1.5 lakh each and in case of non payment they will have to serve an additional rigorous jail term of six months.

The court however acquitted the third accused Juned Shabir Hussain Sheikh for lack of evidence.

The trio was nabbed from a truck near Aslali cross roads in the city on December 18, 2011 on the basis of tip off. The Charas was found hidden in a cavity made in the dirver’s cabin. The two convicted today were driver and cleaner of the truck respectively and Sheikh who has been acquitted was to allegedly receive the Charas here and was a local. They were formally arrested the next day ie on December 19, 2011.

DeshGujarat