A special court in Papum Pare district of Arunachal Pradesh has sentenced a 41-year-old woman from Assam to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh after convicting her under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for possessing 34.72 grams of heroin.
Special Judge (NDPS) Dr Hirendra Kashyap sentenced Saheeda Khatoon, a resident of Nagaon district in Assam, after finding her guilty under Section 21(b) of the NDPS Act.
The court directed Khatoon to pay a fine of Rs 1 lakh. In case of default, she will have to undergo an additional two months of simple imprisonment. The court also ordered that the 11 months and 24 days she had already spent in judicial custody during the investigation and trial be set off against her sentence.
According to Special Public Prosecutor J Jini, Banderdewa Police, acting on specific intelligence on February 17, 2025, raided Khatoon’s rented house at Niya Colony. During the operation, police recovered three soap cases containing 34.72 grams of heroin, which had allegedly been concealed inside a blue backpack.
The seizure was conducted in the presence of Naharlagun SDPO Rishi Longdo and two independent witnesses, while the entire search operation was videographed.
A subsequent forensic examination confirmed that the seized substance was diacetylmorphine, commonly known as heroin.
The police team involved in the raid comprised Sub-Inspector SK Singh, Assistant Sub-Inspectors SK Jha and A Rajbhar, Head Constable T Bomdom, Constable R Tsering and Lady Constable K Yamung.
During the sentencing hearing, the defence sought leniency, arguing that Khatoon is the mother of minor children and that her imprisonment would adversely affect her family.
The prosecution opposed the plea, claiming that she was a habitual drug peddler, was facing trial in another NDPS case involving a commercial quantity of narcotics and was wanted in several drug-related cases in Assam.
Rejecting the plea for mercy, the court observed that Khatoon had allegedly been using Hotel Holiday Inn in Banderdewa as a centre for supplying drugs to youths for illegal financial gain.
The court further noted her alleged involvement in multiple NDPS cases and held that she did not deserve the benefit of probation.
Expressing concern over the growing drug menace, the court observed that rampant drug trafficking in the Itanagar-Naharlagun capital region has contributed to rising crime and the spread of communicable diseases among young people.
The court stressed that such offences require a stern response to safeguard society and protect the future of the youth.
Khatoon was also informed of her right to appeal against the judgment before the Gauhati High Court.
