Cong leader, husband, son get 10-yr jail for opium-smuggling

FARIDKOT: The district and sessions judge Faridkot on Friday awarded 10 years' rigorous imprisonment to Veena Sharma, vice-president of Punjab Congress Committee, and four others in an opium smuggling case. The four others found guilty included her husbandSuba Ram and son Simarjit Sharma, besides two persons from Uttar Pradesh, whowere supplying opium to them. The guilty have also been asked to pay a fine ofRs 1 lakh each as punishment, failing which they have to undergo two yearsadditional imprisonment.Veena Sharma was arrested by Faridkot police on October 16, 2007, along with her son and husband. In a raid at her house, police had recovered 2 kg opium, smuggled from Uttar Pradesh on October 16, 2007. Police had also recovered Rs 45,000 from the house, which the Congress leader was to pay to three smugglers from UP after taking delivery of the opium.