Drug peddler gets death sentence under NDPS act

Ahmedabad, Feb 26 (UNI) For the first time in the history of Gujarat, a lower court here today awarded death penalty to a drug peddler.

Six other accused were sentenced to 10 years Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) and fined Rs one lakh, while one was sentenced to an imprisonment of five years and fine Rs 50,000.

This is the first time in the history of Gujarat that a drug dealer accused has been awarded death sentence, a Narcotics Department official said.

Additional Sessions Judge agreed to demand made by Narcotics Control Bureau, Ahmedabad, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) Act, 1985 to award capital punishment. The Section 31 (A) of NDPS act provides death panalty in case where an offender is convicted for a second time for an offence involving trafficking of commercial quantity of narcotic durgs and psychotropic substances.

Omkarnath Kak was booked by Customs department in 1988 under the Narcotics act and was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for ten years. He was sentenced in March 22, 1990 for the offence and released a few years ago. Thereafter, he continued the business of peddling drugs.

The Special Public prosecutor, A P Desai, requested the Judge that provisions of section 31 (A) of NDPS Act should be invoked against Omkarnath.

Omkarnath, along with seven associates, was arrested for trafficking 40 kg of charas in September 2003 near Ahmedabad Railway station by the NCB of the city. The charas was brought by Omkarnath from Kashmir for further delivery to a gang of drug peddlers in the city.

UNI HT-PB SSS MS RN1924