A 39-year-old drug peddler from Odisha has landed a massive 20-year jail term for peddling and possessing illegal drugs. The Bhubaneswar court handed down the strict sentence on Thursday, marking another big win against the drug trade in the state.
Chittaranjan Sahoo, also known as Madhu, hails from Dinabandhpur village in Dhenkanal district’s Sadar Police Station area. What makes his case even more shocking? He ran a vehicle workshop and lived in a government quarter meant for a police constable in Bhubaneswar since 2021. But instead of staying on the straight and narrow, he turned his rented house in Unit-VIII into a hub for dealing contraband brown sugar, a form of heroin.
On May 20, 2023, Odisha’s Special Task Force (STF) from the Crime Branch swooped in for a raid. They caught Sahoo red-handed and seized a whopping 1,100 grams of brown sugar—worth over Rs 1 crore—along with other evidence linking him to the illegal drug trade. Special Public Prosecutor R.R. Brahma shared these details, highlighting how the STF uncovered the operation during the search.
After a thorough investigation, the STF filed a chargesheet against Sahoo under Sections 21(C) and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985. This law cracks down hard on drug possession and trafficking in India. During the trial, prosecutors presented 14 witnesses and 28 key documents to build a solid case.
Additional Sessions Judge Bandana Kar found Sahoo guilty on both counts. She sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment—the maximum punishment under the NDPS Act—and slapped a Rs 1 lakh fine for each offense. If he doesn’t pay up, he’ll face an extra year in jail.
STF sources say this is the fourth such case in Odisha where a drug peddler got the full 20-year term under the NDPS Act. They also confirmed that the seized brown sugar has been destroyed as per court orders, ensuring it won’t hit the streets again.
This verdict sends a strong message in the fight against drug trafficking in India. Odisha police continue to ramp up raids and crackdowns to keep communities safe from the dangers of illegal drugs like brown sugar and heroin.
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