K. VELU AND ORS. Vs. STATE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) ALL these five Criminal Appeals arise out of the same Judgment of the trial Court and therefore, they were heard together and they are disposed of by means of this Common Judgment.

(2.) THE appellants are the accused Nos. 1 to 5 in C.C. No. 240 of 2009, on the file of the learned Principal Special Judge, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, Madurai. By judgment dated, 05.03.2014, the trial Court has convicted the accused Nos. 1 to 5 under Section 8(c) r/w Section 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (for short, "the Act"), 8(c) r/w Section 21(c) and 8(c) r/w Section 28 of the Act. In addition to the above, the third accused was convicted under Section 8(c) r/w Section 27 -A of the Act. For the offence under Section 8(c) r/w Section 29 of the Act, the trial Court sentenced all the five accused to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 14 years and to pay a fine of Rs. 1,00,000/ - each, in default to undergo simple imprisonment for one year, for the offence under Section 8(c) r/w Section 21(c) of the Act, the trial Court sentenced all the five accused to undergo rigorous imprisonment for 14 years and to pay a fine of Rs. 1,00,000/ - each, in default to undergo simple imprisonment for one year, for the offence under Section 8(c) r/w Section 28 of the Act, the trial Court sentenced all the five accused to undergo rigorous imprisonment for fourteen years and to pay a fine of Rs. 1,00,000/ - each, in default to undergo simple imprisonment for one year and the third accused was sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for fourteen years and to pay a fine of Rs. 1,00,000/ - in default to undergo simple imprisonment for one year for the offence under Section 8(c) r/w Section 27(A) of the Act. Challenging the said conviction and sentence, the appellants have come up with these Criminal Appeals. The case of the prosecution, in brief, is as follows:

(3.) I have heard the learned counsel appearing for the appellants, the learned Special Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondent and also perused the records carefully.