A Delhi court has sentenced a man to 10 years in jail for possessing 5.9 kg of heroin at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here.
Special Judge MK Nagpal held the man guilty under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for possessing the drug which was more than the commercial quantity (which is 250 grams).
While convicting Punjab resident Gurtej Singh Batth, the court also noted that he attempted to export the drug outside India.
The court also noted that Batth could not prove that he was unaware of the presence of the contraband in his baggage.
"Nothing has been brought on record to establish that Batth was not aware regarding the presence of the contraband substance concealed in his checked-in-baggage and rather the statement made by him clearly shows that he was aware about it and was willingly carrying the same from India to Canada for monetary consideration," the judge said.
Batth, who had earlier admitted to his offence, tried to retract from his statement after a month into trial but the judge rejected his application.
"Statements of the prosecution witnesses is found to be duly corroborated by the documents proved on record and it stands established beyond reasonable doubts that two suitcases containing four packets of heroin belonged to the accused," the court said.
"Therefore, keeping in view the submissions made by Batth and the totality of facts and circumstances, he is awarded the minimum sentence of rigorous imprisonment for a period of 10 years and a fine of Rs 1 lakh," the court said.
According to the prosecution, officials of Director of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) got a tip-off that Batth was travelling from Delhi to Canada with contraband substance in his baggage on April 13, 2010.
The officials reached the IGI Airport before his departure and apprehended him with two suitcases from which around 5.9 kg heroin was recovered.
Batth was arrested for the offences under the NDPS Act, to which he pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.
