15-Year RI for Three Drug Traffickers in Poonch, ₹1.50 Lakh Fine Each
||Black and White Digital News ||
||Parvinder Singh Oct 07,2026||
Poonch : In a major setback to narcotics trafficking in the Poonch-Mendhar belt, the Court of the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Poonch, has sentenced three drug traffickers to 15 years of Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) and imposed a fine of ₹1.50 lakh each in a case involving the recovery of approximately 4 kilograms of heroin.
The judgment was pronounced by Principal District and Sessions Judge Susheel Singh in connection with FIR No. 56/2022, registered at Police Station Mendhar, under Section 8/21(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The convicts have been identified as Sherbaz Ahmed, resident of Gulathi, Manjakote, Rajouri; Anzar Ahmed, resident of Dharati, Mendhar, Poonch; and Rafiq Azam, resident of Kalar Mohra, Mendhar, Poonch.
According to the case details, the accused were arrested during a police operation in the Balakote sector in connection with the narcotics case. Police recovered approximately 4 kilograms of heroin, which falls within the commercial quantity category under the NDPS Act.
The recovery led to the registration of the case and subsequent investigation into the involvement and role of the accused in the alleged narcotics trafficking network.
Investigation Led by Then SDPO Sheezan Bhat
The investigation was conducted under the supervision of the then SSP Poonch, Rohit Bastotra, while the probe was led by the then SDPO Mendhar, DySP Sheezan Bhat.
Mendhar Police carried out a detailed investigation following the arrests and recovery, focusing on establishing the role of the accused and collecting the evidence necessary to substantiate the prosecution case before the court.
The sustained investigation and subsequent prosecution ultimately resulted in the conviction of all three accused.
Court Convicts All Three Accused
The Court of the Principal District and Sessions Judge, Poonch, convicted all three accused on October 6, 2026, for offences punishable under Section 8/21(c) of the NDPS Act.
During the hearing on the quantum of sentence on October 7, 2026, the prosecution sought stringent punishment, with Public Prosecutor Pankaj Sethi, appearing for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting the seriousness of the offence and the recovery of a substantial quantity of heroin.
The prosecution argued that the recovery constituted a commercial quantity of narcotics and that the offence posed a serious threat to public health and society.
15 Years’ Rigorous Imprisonment
After hearing the prosecution and considering the facts and circumstances of the case, the court sentenced each of the three convicts to 15 years of Rigorous Imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹1.50 lakh each.
The judgment is being seen as a significant outcome in the ongoing efforts to curb drug trafficking in the Poonch-Mendhar region.
The case also highlights the importance of sustained police investigation and effective prosecution in securing convictions in major narcotics cases. The investigation led by then SDPO Mendhar DySP Sheezan Bhat, under the supervision of then SSP Poonch Rohit Bastotra, culminated in the conviction and sentencing of all three accused.
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