Close on the heels of a spate of high-profile cases on drug charges, the government has amended the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 to rationalise the sentence structure.
Now drug traffickers who traffic in significant quantities will be punished with deterrent sentences while addicts and others who commit less serious offences will be awarded less severe punishment.
The application of strict bail provisions has been restricted primarily to those cases where offenders indulge in serious offences. Certain inadequacies relating to the power of entry, search, seizure, forfeiture of illegally acquired property have also been removed under the amendments which will make the act more realistic and workable, said an official release. The amendments have also addressed certain obligations in respect of the concept of 'controlled delivery' arising out of the UN Convention against illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, 1988 to which India is a party. These amendments are to come into force from today.
