Drug peddler sentenced to 7 years of rigorous imprisonment

A Mangaluru court sentences drug dealer T.P. Farooque to seven years in prison for ganja possession and sale.

The Principal District and Sessions Court, Dakshina Kannada in Mangaluru, on Saturday, April 4, sentenced a 50-year-old man from Bunder to seven years of rigorous imprisonment after convicting him for the offence of possessing and selling ganja.

Principal District and Sessions Judge Basavaraj passed the order against T.P. Farooque, son of T.P. Aziz, from Ansari Cross Road, Bunder. The judge also sentenced him to pay a fine of ₹50,000, in lieu of which he is ordered to undergo another 2 months of simple imprisonment. The order of conviction was passed on March 9.

The then Bantwal Police Inspector B. Cheluvaraju had apprehended Farooque and one Sagar Singh on November 10, 2020, near Melkar and had found 1.37 kg ganja stashed in their multi-utility vehicle. A case was registered under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, against the accused.

As Sagar jumped bail and has remained untraced, the court split the case and conducted the trial against Farooque, said Public Prosecutor Judith Olga Margaret Crasta, who conducted the prosecution. Police Inspector Nagaraj completed the probe and led the prosecution.