A special court in Nainital has sentenced Yogesh Pant to 3 years of rigorous imprisonment in a smack recovery case registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. The court also imposed a ₹30,000 fine on him.

Additional District and Sessions Judge and Special Judge (NDPS Act) Sanjeev Kumar delivered the order on 21 October. The case relates to the recovery of 15.05 grams of illegal smack from Pant on 17 December 2020.

Case details

According to the prosecution, Haldwani police recovered the substance from Yogesh Pant, a resident of Khanna Farm in Teenpani, Haldwani. An FIR was subsequently registered at Haldwani police station.

Pant was prosecuted under Section 8/21 of the NDPS Act. After considering the evidence presented during the trial, the court found him guilty and awarded the prison sentence.

The court also ordered that Pant will undergo an additional one month of simple imprisonment if he fails to pay the fine. The order concerns the punishment imposed after the court’s finding in the case.

Co-accused acquitted

Aslam Khan, a resident of Kota Ali Nagar in Bilaspur, Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, was also prosecuted in the same matter. Proceedings against him included Sections 8/21/29 of the NDPS Act.

The court found that the charge under Section 29 could not be proved against Khan on the available evidence. It therefore acquitted him in the case.

The verdict distinguishes the outcomes for the 2 accused. Pant was convicted on the evidence considered by the court, while Khan was acquitted because the relevant charge was not established.

Conclusion

The Nainital special court sentenced Yogesh Pant to 3 years of rigorous imprisonment and a ₹30,000 fine over the 15.05-gram smack recovery, while acquitting co-accused Aslam Khan for lack of proof under Section 29.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What sentence did Yogesh Pant receive?

Pant received 3 years of rigorous imprisonment and a ₹30,000 fine.

Q. What happens if Pant does not pay the fine?

He will have to undergo an additional one month of simple imprisonment.

Q. When was the substance recovered?

The recovery took place on 17 December 2020.

Q. How much smack was recovered?

Police recovered 15.05 grams of illegal smack.

Q. Which court issued the order?

The order was issued by the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge and Special Judge (NDPS Act) Sanjeev Kumar in Nainital.

Q. What happened to co-accused Aslam Khan?

The court acquitted Khan after finding that the charge under Section 29 was not proved on the available evidence.