Court Awards 25-yr Jail to Drug Addict, Refers to PM's Speech
NEW DELHI: In the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for making India drug addiction free, a Delhi court has awarded 25 years jail term to a drug addict for killing two men in an intoxicated state.
While sentencing him, the court referred to the recent speech given by Modi in 'Mann ki Baat' programme and observed that the prime minister had rightly described drug addiction as "national pain".
"Prime Minister of our country has expressed his serious concerns over the menace of drug addiction by describing it as a 'national pain' - a malaise filled with three 'D's i.e. darkness, destruction and devastation. With all humility to what the Prime Minister has said with which none can disagree, I wish to add two more 'D's to it - i.e. demonising and devouring," Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau said.
"An addiction to drugs is a dangerous habit which demonises a person who devours himself, by destroying his own life and that of others around him and causes darkness and devastating consequences to himself, his own family, society and to the nation to which he belongs," the court said.
Its observations came while awarding life term to Sultanpuri resident Govind, 25, for murdering 32-year-old Babloo and 35-year-old Ramesh, who were all drug addicts, by stabbing them with a knife.
The court, however, made it clear that Govind would spend at least 25 years in jail and shall not be considered for any remission till he undergoes an actual sentence of 25 years.
It also imposed a fine of Rs two lakh on Govind and said that if realised, the amount be distributed equally to the families of the victims.
The court, however, acquitted the other accused, Anoop and Satish Kumar in the case citing lack of evidence against them. While awarding the punishment to the convict, the court said the case falls in the category of "rare" case and Govind had brought "total darkness" in the lives of his family and that of the victims' kin.
According to police, Govind, Anoop and Satish had conspired and murdered Babloo and Ramesh at their rented accommodation in Sultanpuri by stabbing them on April 6, 2013.