JUDGMENT

AMITAVA ROY, J.

1. The instant appeal mounts a challenge to the judgment and orders dated 19.09.2016 and 22.09.2016 of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh at Shimla rendered in Criminal Appeal No. 218 of 2011 thereby reversing the verdict dated 29.12.2010 of acquittal of the appellant by the Trial Court from the charge under Sections 20 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (for short, hereafter referred to as the “Act”). By the impugned decision, the appellant thus stand convicted under the above provisions of the Act and has been sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 20 years and to pay a fine of Rs. 2 lakhs, in default to suffer rigorous imprisonment for a period of one year.

2. We have heard Mr. Ajay Marwah, learned counsel for the appellant and Mr. Varinder Kumar Sharma, learned counsel for the respondent/State.

3. The skeletal facts portraying the prosecution case originate from the wee hours of 20.10.2009, precisely 4 a.m when the police patrol party led by Inspector/SHO Sanjeev Chauhan (PW-8), while located at a place known as Kelti Dhar noticed an Alto vehicle bearing registration No.HP-01K-0805 moving towards them from Shallang