Bhubaneswar, December 23: Bhubaneswar court has sentenced five individuals involved in drug trafficking to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, along with a ₹1 lakh fine each. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional 2 years of imprisonment.
The verdict was delivered by 3rd Additional District and Sessions Judge Himashu Sekhar Mallik, who found the accused guilty under Sections 21(C) and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The court relied on the testimony of 15 witnesses and presented 33 documents and 4 seized items as evidence. Based on the prosecution's case, the 3rd Additional District Judge in Bhubaneswar convicted the accused.
The incident in question took place on January 19, 2020, when Bhubaneswar’s Special Task Force (STF) apprehended Tanmaya Kumar Sahoo of Balasore while he was delivering 390 grams of brown sugar to K. Sagaba of Sikhrachandi Basti near Kaling Stadium. The contraband, valued at around ₹4.5 lakh, was part of a larger narcotics operation. Investigators later uncovered that SK. Fakir, a key figure from Golapokhar, Balasore, had masterminded the drug deal, and he was subsequently arrested as well.
Special Public Prosecutor Rashmi Ranjan Brahma played a pivotal role in securing the conviction, successfully presenting the case in court.
