A special NDPS court in Papum Pare district has sentenced a woman to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment and her son to 20 years for possessing commercial quantities of heroin and operating an interstate drug supply network from a hotel in Banderdewa.
Special Judge (NDPS) Dr Hirendra Kashyap sentenced Sahida Khatun alias Anju, a resident of Banderdewa, to 30 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined her Rs 3 lakh. Her son, Faruk Ali, was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 2 lakh.
The court convicted the duo under Section 21(C) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, holding that the prosecution had proved beyond reasonable doubt that they were in possession of 21 packets containing 257.52 grams of heroin.
The case dates back to May 21, 2021, when Banderdewa police, acting on a tip-off, raided Hotel Holiday Inn in the presence of an executive magistrate. During the search, police seized 21 packets of suspected heroin weighing 257.52 grams. Five people were initially taken to the police station.
During the trial, the prosecution submitted that Khatun was running the hotel, while her son Ali procured drugs from Nagaon in Assam and supplied them through a network of peddlers. Forensic examination later confirmed that the seized substance was diacetyl morphine, commonly known as heroin.
The court observed that Khatun had been using the hotel as a centre for supplying drugs to youths in Arunachal Pradesh for illicit financial gain, while Ali procured the contraband from Assam and distributed it through a chain of peddlers. The court also noted that both were wanted in several NDPS cases registered at police stations in Assam.
The defence sought leniency, submitting that Khatun is the mother of minor children and that Ali requires regular medical treatment.
The prosecution opposed the plea and sought stringent punishment, citing their alleged involvement in other drug-related cases.
The court noted that Khatun was being convicted for a second time and therefore imposed the enhanced sentence of 30 years. In default of payment of the fine, she will undergo an additional six months of simple imprisonment, while Ali will undergo four months.
The period already spent in custody by the two will be set off against their respective sentences. The court also informed them of their right to appeal before the Gauhati High Court.
