Bhubaneswar, October 30: A Bhubaneswar court has sentenced four individuals to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for their involvement in drug trafficking, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The convicted men – SK Sameer, Sayed Imtiyaz, SK Irfan, and Rati Ranjan Routray – are all residents of Raja Bazar in Jatni Town, Khurda District.

The judgment was delivered by Additional Sessions Judge Himansu Sekhar Mallik, who found the accused guilty under sections 21(C) and 29 of the NDPS Act. Along with their prison terms, each of the convicts has been fined Rs 1 lakh. In case of non-payment of the fine, they will serve an additional two years of rigorous imprisonment.

The case stemmed from a raid conducted on March 9, 2022, by Dipti Ranjan Pradhan, Inspector of Police, Special Task Force (STF). During the operation at Raja Bazar, Jatni, authorities apprehended the four individuals and seized 1.32 kilograms of brown sugar, valued at approximately Rs 3 crore.

The prosecution, led by Special Public Prosecutor Rasmi Ranjan Brahma, presented testimony from 10 witnesses and 59 documents, securing a conviction. Following thorough legal procedures, the charge sheet was filed, leading to the successful conviction of the accused under the NDPS Act.