Ludhiana: A mother and son have been handed rigorous prison sentences after a special court in Punjab found them guilty of running a localised drug peddling operation involving intoxicant powders, tablets, and “drug money”.Judge Radhika Puri of the Special Court sentenced Gagandeep Singh to two years of rigorous imprisonment for the “conscious possession” of intoxicant powder and tablets. His mother, Nirmal Kaur, was sentenced to one year and four months after police recovered contraband and Rs.49,000 in cash from the family’s home.The Dholewal Chowk StingThe convictions stem from a July 2021 operation led by inspector Amandeep Singh of Division Number Six police. Acting on a secret tip-off that the duo were habitual dealers, police moved to intercept Gagandeep near Sherpur Chowk. Prosecution evidence about interception suggests that upon spotting the police party, Gagandeep attempted to discard a polythene bag and flee. Officers recovered pink intoxicant powder and 120 intoxicating tablets from the discarded bag.A subsequent search of the family house led to the apprehension of Nirmal Kaur. Police discovered further intoxicants and a cache of “drug money” hidden within the frame of a bed. During the trial, the defense argued the case was fabricated, pointing to a lack of independent civilian witnesses during the search and seizure. However, Judge Puri dismissed these claims, citing established legal principles.“The testimony of police officials cannot be discarded merely on the ground of non-association of independent witnesses, if their depositions are otherwise cogent and reliable,” the court observed. The court found the evidence provided by official witnesses to be “consistent and free from material contradictions,” noting there was no evidence suggesting the family had been falsely implicated.Sentences and FinesIn addition to their respective prison terms, the court imposed a fine of ₹20,000 on each convict. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional two months of rigorous imprisonment for both Gagandeep Singh and Nirmal Kaur. The court noted a technical limitation regarding the total volume of drugs; because the chemical analysis samples were not proven to be “representative” of the entire bulk due to varying batch numbers, the sentencing was based on the specific quantities verified by the laboratory.
