JUDGMENT :

Hima Kohli, J.

1. The present appeals arise from the common judgment dated 08th July, 2013 passed by the Division Bench of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh deciding the Murder Reference¹[Murder Reference No. 5 of 2012 titled Narcotics Control Bureau, Chandigarh Zonal Unit v. Balwinder Singh @ Binda] prepared by the Judge, Special Court for confirmation of death sentence, appeal²[CRA No. D-365-DB of 2012] preferred by Balwinder Singh³[Appellant in Criminal Appeal No. 1136 of 2014] and the appeal⁴[CRA No. D-371-DB of 2012] filed by Satnam Singh⁵[Appellant in Criminal Appeal No. 1933 of 2014].

1.1 By the impugned judgment, the death sentence imposed upon Balwinder Singh³[supra] was set aside under the Reference, thereby declining the Reference and imposed a sentence on him to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 14 years and to pay a fine of Rs.1,50,000/- [Rupees one lakh fifty thousand only] and in default, to undergo rigorous imprisonment for one year for commission of offence under Section 21(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985⁶[For short ‘NDPS Act’]. The appeals preferred by the accused were dismissed except for the modification in