JUDGMENT - P.V. HARDAS, J.:---The appellant, who stands convicted for an offence punishable under sections 20(b)(ii) and 22 of the N.D.P.S. Act, 1985, and is sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 10 years and to pay a fine of Rs. 1,00,000/- in default to undergo simple imprisonment for one year on each count, has filed the present appeal challenging his aforesaid conviction and sentence as recorded by the Special Judge, N.D.P.S. Court, Mapusa, by judgment dated 26th December, 2000, in Special Criminal Case No. 10 of 2000.

2. The facts necessary for the decision of the appeal are set out hereunder:

On 20th December, 1999, at about 5.00 p.m., two panch witnesses P.W. 3, Ashok Bhosale and one Shivnath Naik, both Government servants from the office of the Director of Agriculture were called to the Anti Narcotic Cell Police Station by P.W. 6, P.I. Lavu Mamledar, by his letter dated 20th December, 1999 addressed to the Director of Agriculture, Panaji, Goa. The said two panch witnesses were introduced by P.W. 6, P.I. Lavu Mamledar to P.W. 4, P.S.I. Uday Naik. P.W. 4, P.S.I. Uday Naik, informed the two panchas that they were called to the Anti Narcotic Cell Police Station, Panaji,

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