Ramchandra vs State Of Rajasthan

Instant criminal appeal has been filed by the appellant under Section 374(2) Cr.P.C. against the judgment dated 22.01.2011 passed by learned Special Judge, NDPS Act Cases, Pratapgarh in Sessions Case No. 30/2005 by which the learned Judge convicted the appellant for offence under Section 8/20 NDPS Act and sentenced him to undergo five years' R.I. alongwith fine of Rs.25,000/- and in default of payment of fine to undergo three months' R.I.

Brief facts of the case are that on 29.06.2005, SHO Police Station Arnod submitted a parcha Ex-P/28 at PS Arnod to the effect that at about 5:00 PM, he received a secret information about the tree of Ganza in the field of the appellant, on which after usual formalities, he along with other police officials reached at the field of the appellant at about 6:25 PM and in search recovered 30 gms Ganza tree without permit or licence, thereafter the appellant was arrested and a case bearing FIR No.159/2005 was registered for offence under Section 8/20 NDPS Act and started investigation. After completion of investigation, the police filed challan against the present appellant for offence under Section 8/20 NDPS Act. Thereafter, the charges of the case were framed against the appellant. He denied the charges and claimed trial.

During the course of trial, the prosecution examined 14 witnesses and various documents were also exhibited. Thereafter, statement of appellant under section 313 Cr.P.C was recorded. One witness was examined on the defence side.

Upon conclusion of the trial, the learned trial court vide impugned judgment dated 22.01.2011 convicted and sentenced the appellant for offence under Section 8/20 NDPS Act as mentioned earlier.

At the threshold, learned counsel for the appellant does not challenge the finding of conviction but it is submitted that since the recovered contraband is below commercial quantity and the occurrence relates back to year 2005 and the appellant has so far suffered a sentence of more than three and half months out of total sentence of five years, therefore, it is prayed that the substantive sentence awarded to the appellant for the aforesaid offence may be reduced to the period already undergone by him. In support of his contention, learned counsel for the appellant relied upon judgment of this Court in the case of Mohammad Ali v. State of Rajasthan reported in 2013(4) CJ(Cri.) (Raj.) 1914, Niyamat Ali Nemu v. State of Rajasthan reported in 2013(4) CJ(Cri.) (Raj.) 1915, Sher Singh vs. State of Rajasthan reported in 2016(1) WLN 156 (Raj.)

On the other hand, the learned Public Prosecutor opposed the submissions made by the learned counsel for the appellant. The learned PP submitted that there is neither any occasion to interfere with the sentence awarded to the accused appellant nor any compassion or sympathy is called for in the said case.

Since the appellant's counsel does not challenge the appellant's conviction, this Court need not go into the merits of the case and accordingly, the conviction of the appellant as recorded by the learned trial court for the offence under Section 8/20 NDPS Act is maintained.

I have perused the evidence of the prosecution as well as defence and the judgment passed by the trial court regarding conviction of the accused-appellant. It is not disputed that the recovered contraband is below commercial quantity and the incident relates back to the year 2005 and the appellant has so far undergone a period of more than three and half months incarceration out of the total five years' rigorous imprisonment so also suffered the agony and trauma of protracted trial. Thus, looking to the over-all circumstances and the fact that the appellant has remained behind the bars for considerable time, it will be just and proper if the sentence awarded by the trial court for offence under Section 8/20 NDPS Act is reduced to the period already undergone by him while maintaining the amount of fine in the sum of Rs.25,000/-.

Accordingly, the appeal is partly allowed. While maintaining the appellant's conviction and sentence for offence under Section 8/20 NDPS Act, the sentence awarded to him is reduced to the period already undergone by him, however the amount of fine is hereby maintained. In default of payment of fine, the appellant shall undergo three months' rigorous imprisonment. Two month's time is granted to deposit the fine before the trial court. Appellant is on bail. His bail bonds stand discharged.

The record of the trial court be sent back forthwith.