JUDGMENT :

(Sandeep Mehta, J.) :

1. These appeals take exception to the final impugned judgment dated 10th November, 2022 passed by the High Court for the State of Telangana at Hyderabad rejecting the Criminal Appeal No. 594 of 2011 preferred by the appellants assailing the judgment dated 30th May, 2011 passed by the Metropolitan Sessions Judge, Hyderabad (hereinafter being referred to as ‘trial Court’) in Sessions Case No. 563 of 2010.

2. By the aforesaid judgment, the learned trial Court, convicted the appellants for the offence punishable under Section 8(c) read with Section 20(b)(ii)(c) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985(hereinafter being referred to as the ‘NDPS Act’) and sentenced each of them to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of ten years and to pay a fine of Rs.1,00,000/- each, in default, to suffer simple imprisonment for a period of six months.

3. During the pendency of the appeal before the High Court, A-1 (Mohd. Ishaq Ansari) expired and, therefore, the proceedings qua him stood abated before the High Court.

4. For the sake of convenience, the accused will be referred to as A-1(Md. Ishaq Ansari)(expired), A-2(S.A. Shafiullah), A-3(Mohd.