Mr. Mehinder Singh Sullar, J.: - Assailing the impugned judgment of conviction and order of sentence dated 5.4.1999 of Special Judge, Darshan Singh-appellant-convict (hereinafter to be referred as “the appellant”) has directed the present appeal, vide which he was convicted and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of 10 years, to pay a fine of Rs.1 lac and in default of payment of fine, to further undergo the sentence of one year for commission of offence punishable under section 18 of the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (for short “the Act”).

2. The matrix of the facts, culminating in the commencement of, relevant for disposal of present appeal and emanating from the record, as unfolded during the trial, is that on 12.9.1994, a police party headed by PW3 SI Satwant Singh and consisted of Head Constables Pal Singh and Gurjant Singh, was present on patrol duty. They arranged a ‘Nakabandi’ at the bridge of village Mari, where PW Bikkar Singh of village Poohla met them. In the meantime, the appellant was seen coming from the side of village Mari on his Priya Make Scooter, bearing registration No.PNC-6800. After noticing the signal of the