Jan. 28
INDIA:
1st death penalty in a drug crime case
In the 1st ever case of capital punishment in a drug crime, a special Narcotics
court in Chandigarh has awarded death penalty to a person while sentencing an
African national to 15-years of Rigorous Imprisonment (RI).
The court of Special Judge (Narcotic Drugs and Physchotropic Substances Act)
Shalini Singh Nagpal awarded death sentence to one Paramjeet Singh for
trafficking 10 kilograms of Heroin and supplying it to an African national
Sestus Benson in 2007.
Till now the maximum punishment in drug crime has been RI and a heavy fine.
"Paramjeet was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on November 30,
2007 in Chandigarh's sector-39 as he was illegally delivering 10kg Heroin to
Benson. What made his crime grave was that Paramjeet was out on parole granted
by a Delhi Court in another drug trafficking case," NCB Special Public
Prosecutor Kailash Chander said.
This is a 1st-ever case of capital punishment being awarded in a drugs
trafficking case. Benson has been awarded an RI of 15 years and a fine of Rs
1.5 lakh by the court, Chander said.
NCB Zonal Director Rohit Katiyar confirmed the development to PTI and said the
judgement in the case was historic and would act as a "deterrent in illegal
drugs and crime cases".
"This is a historic judgement. The judgememnt will go a long way in curbing the
menace of narcotics abuse in the country, especially amongst the youth,"
Katiyar said.
Paramjeet was earlier arrested by the agency in Delhi in 2005 and was granted
parole by a Delhi Court and the Chandigarh court not only relied on this fact
but also the NCB probe to deliver today's judgement under the Prevention of
Illicit Traffick in Narcotic Drugs and Physchotropic Substances Act (PIT NDPS),
Chander said.
(source: Hindustan Times)
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