VANIA KHANNA sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment in NDPS case

Jalandhar, March 4, 2013: A 26-year-old woman Vania Khanna from New Delhi, associated with drug kingpin Raja Kandola was Monday sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment and to pay a fine of Rs. 1 lakh by JS Bhinder, Judge, Special Court, Hoshiarpur in an NDPS case registered against her in Garhshankar police station.

The police had recovered two kg heroin from her custody in June 2012.

The prosecution has been able to prove on record that on June 3, 2012 at about 4 pm in the area of village Panam, Police Station Garhshankar, she was found in conscious possession of two kilograms heroin without any permit or licence and thereby committed offence under Section 21 of the NDPS Act.

The case of prosecution is duly proved on the record. As such, the Court hold the accused Vania Khanna guilty under Section 21 of the NDPS Act and convict her there under.

The order passed by the Court reads; “Convict has been heard on the quantum of sentence. She has prayed for leniency on the ground that she unmarried girl and her future would be ruined if she is convicted. Therefore, she has prayed that she may be dealt with leniently. I (Judge) have considered the submissions made by the convict. Keeping in view the entire facts and circumstances of this case as well as quantity of heroin recovered from possession of convict the price of which in the international market is worth rupees crores, the convict Vania Khanna does not deserve any leniency in the matter of sentence therefore, she is sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of ten years and to pay a fine of Rs. 1 lakh under Section 21 of NDPS Act. In default of payment of fine, she will further undergo rigorous imprisonment for two years.”

It may be recalled here that Garhshankar police had seized two kg heroin worth about Rs 10 crore in the international market way back on June 3, 2012.