Bihar native gets one month jail in 2022 narcotics case

Panaji: A narcotics drugs and psychotropic substances (NDPS) court has sentenced Mukesh Bhagat, a native of Bihar, to simple imprisonment of one month under the NDPS Act after he pleaded guilty for ganja possession. In 2022, Porvorim police, led by PSI Sitaram Malik, had found the accused and another with ganja weighing 2.5kg, worth Rs 2.5 lakh, at Alto Pilerne.

During the course of the proceedings, the second accused passed away. Bhagat voluntarily pleaded guilty to the offence on the grounds that he comes from a poor background, is a first-time offender and that the drugs found in his possession are of a variable quantity.

Thereafter, Bhagat’s advocate sought leniency of sentence while the PP sought maximum punishment. The court observed that the maximum sentence is 10 years and that he was already in custody from July to Aug 2022 for almost one month. Keeping in mind the period of detention already undergone by the accused, along with him being a first-time offender and the drugs being of a variable quantity, the court directed that a lenient view can be taken for imposing a sentence and he can be freed if he is not wanted in any other crime.