Those dealing in narcotics key in causing deaths: Supreme Court

A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah said while awarding a sentence under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the interest of the society had to be taken into consideration.

A view of the Supreme Court of India. File

Persons dealing in narcotic drugs are instruments in causing the deaths of innocent and vulnerable victims, the Supreme Court said, adding that merely because an accused is poor is not reason enough to give him a lesser punishment

A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah said while awarding a sentence under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the interest of the society had to be taken into consideration.

“Organised activities of the underworld and the clandestine smuggling of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances into this country shall lay to drug addiction among a sizeable section of the public,” the Bench said.

The observation came on an appeal filed by Gurdev Singh challenging a decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court confirming the sentence for an offence under Section 21 of the NDPS Act. The court had sentenced the accused to 15 years imprisonment.