IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of Decision:04.11.2025 Malkiat Singh …Appellant Versus State of Punjab …Respondent CORAM: HON’BLE MRS. JUSTICE LISA GILL HON’BLE MRS. JUSTICE MEENAKSHI I. MEHTA Argued by:- Mr. D.N. Ganeriwala, Advocate and Mr. Kanisth Ganeriwala, Advocate for the appellant.

Mr. Raghav Garg, AAG, Punjab for the respondent-State.

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Meenakshi I. Mehta, J.

By way of instant Criminal Appeal, the afore-named appellant has laid challenge to the judgment and order on sentence, handed down by learned Judge, Special Court, Ferozepur (for short ‘the trial Court’), on 01.04.2014 in the criminal case arising out of FIR No.08 dated 19.01.2013 as registered at Police Station Mamdot, under Section 21 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (for short ‘the Act’), whereby he (appellant) has been held guilty for committing the offence punishable under Section 21 of the Act and has been sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of 12 years and pay a fine of Rs. one (01) lac and in case of default in the payment of fine, to further undergo rigorous imprisonment for 06 months.

2. Shorn and short of unnecessary details, the facts,