SRINAGAR: A court in Tripura’s North District has sentenced a truck driver from Jammu and Kashmir to 12 years of rigorous imprisonment after convicting him in a narcotics trafficking case involving the seizure of 260 kilograms of cannabis (ganja) from a truck intercepted at the Churaibari check post in 2022, reports appearing in Northeast media said.
The Court of the Additional Sessions Judge at Dharmanagar delivered the judgment on Tuesday, holding Manjoor Ahamed Chachi, son of Md. Jalal Uddin Chachi and a resident of Katyanwali in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, guilty under Sections 20(B)(II)(C) and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Apart from the 12-year rigorous imprisonment, the court imposed a fine of Rs 1.5 lakh on the convict. In the event of default in payment of the fine, he will have to undergo an additional six months of rigorous imprisonment.
The conviction was pronounced in Special (NDPS) Case No. 30 of 2022, arising out of Churaibari Police Station Case No. 02 of 2022.
According to the prosecution, the case dates back to February 1, 2022, when police personnel were conducting a special vehicle checking drive at the Churaibari Naka Point, a key interstate checkpoint in North Tripura.
During the operation, officials intercepted a truck being driven by Chachi. A thorough search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 260 kilograms of dry ganja allegedly concealed inside the truck. Police arrested the driver on the spot and subsequently registered a case under the provisions of the NDPS Act.
The investigation was carried out by then Sub-Inspector Ajit Kanti Chakma of Churaibari Police Station, who is currently serving as an Inspector at Amtali Police Station in West Tripura district. After completing the investigation, Chakma filed the charge sheet against the accused on July 31, 2022.
During the trial, the prosecution presented documentary and material evidence relating to the seizure, investigation and recovery of the contraband. After examining the evidence and hearing the arguments, the Additional Sessions Judge found the accused guilty of transporting a commercial quantity of cannabis and of criminal conspiracy under the relevant provisions of the NDPS Act.
The court subsequently sentenced Chachi to 12 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a monetary penalty, bringing to a close the four-year-old narcotics case.
The conviction is considered a significant outcome in Tripura’s efforts to curb interstate narcotics trafficking, particularly cases involving the transportation of commercial quantities of cannabis through the state’s road network.
