Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Dec 17: The chief district and sessions court, which is the designated court for handling cases under The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, delivered a judgment on Wednesday December 16, holding the accused guilty of involvement with sale of drugs.

The court held Dinesh (45) from Kavarady village of Kundapur taluk guilty of selling ganja. It however, absolved the second accused, Madhukar Shetty, of the charges because of lack of conclusive evidence.

The prosecution claimed that both Dinesh and another person named Madhukar Shetty from Hanjaru village near Moodbidri, were selling ganja by moving about in a motor bike at Mullamar beach, Mukka on April 13, 2010, in an area falling within the jurisdiction of Coastal Security Force police. The then inspector of the station, Mukund Nayak, along with some personnel had raided the spot and found that the accused were in possession of 1.8 kg ganja and 1.86 kg drug which looked like heroin. But chemical tests did not find evidence that the substance was heroin or some other drug. Madhukar Shetty had escaped during the raid, and had also succeeded in getting anticipatory bail.

Judge of the court, Uma M G, who took up the case, heard arguments on behalf of both the prosecution and the defendant, and pronounced the judgment, sentencing the first accused for two years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed fine of Rs 10,000 on him. In case of failure to pay up fine, he will have to spend six more months inside jail.

Public prosecutor, Pushparaj Adyantaya, had placed arguments on behalf of the prosecution.