A Delhi court has let off an accused with a punishment of 21 months’ imprisonment already served during the trial after he pleaded guilty to his offences in a Narcotic Dugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) case.
The Narcotic Control Bureau had arrested Ramadhan Ismail, a Tanzanian national, with 25 kg of ephedrine at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the Capital in 2015.
“The convict has no previous criminal antecedents and it does appear from the totality of the attendant circumstances and material on record that he is not a hardened criminal. He may be forced due to his economic condition to indulge in the illegal trafficking of controlled substance. No doubt poverty is not a justification for commission of crimes but in the considered opinion of this court, imposing a harsh sentence will also not sub-serve the interests of justice,’’ Additional Sessions Judge Sudesh Kumar said while giving him a lenient punishment.
“The convict has admitted his guilt stating that due to his financial hardship he agreed to become the carrier. He, being a foreign national, is unnecessarily putting liability on our jail, and he is required to be deported back to his country,’’ the Judge stated.
Counsel seeks ‘soft’ punishment
“Thus, taking into consideration the nature of offence (particularly that the amount of controlled substance involved is only 25 Kg), the social and economic status of the convict and the reason for which he appears to have committed the offence, this court hereby sentences the convict to undergo rigorous imprisonment for the period which has been already undergone...with direction to immediately deport him to his country following entire procedure and legal provisions in this regard,’’ the Judge further said.
Seeking a soft punishment, counsel for the accused had also argued that the convict belongs to the poor strata of society and he got involved in the present case due to extreme poverty.
