Court hands 10-year jail term to drug peddler in Anantnag

Anantnag, Oct 28: A special court in Anantnag has sentenced a drug peddler to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment in a 2021 narcotics case, underscoring the district police’s ongoing crackdown on drug trafficking.

The Special Judge NDPS, Manzoor Ahmad Khan, convicted Bashir Ahmad Bhat, son of Gull Mohammad Bhat, a resident of Waghama Bijbehara, in connection with FIR No. 230/2021 under Section 8/15 of the NDPS Act, registered at Police Station Bijbehara. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the accused after hearing arguments from both sides and considering the circumstances of the case.

As per police, the case was registered following the recovery of 70 kilograms of poppy straw from Bhat’s possession when he was intercepted at Sangam while driving an Alto 800 (registration number JK18A-1097) on August 19, 2021. The investigation was conducted by SI Mohammad Qayoom, who later produced the charge sheet before the court. The prosecution, led by Senior Prosecuting Officer Arif Majeed Romshoo, resulted in the conviction.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anantnag, Amritpal Singh, appreciated the efforts of the investigating officer and the prosecution team for their professionalism and effective coordination, which led to the successful conviction.

An official said the Anantnag Police reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the law and intensifying its efforts to eradicate drug abuse and illegal trafficking in the district.