Mohali, April 25 -- A special court in Mohali has sentenced two men to 12 years of rigorous imprisonment each and imposed a fine of Rs.1.5 lakh for possessing 175 kg of poppy husk, in a case registered at Zirakpur in 2024. The court of special judge Harsimranjit Singh held Narinder Singh,42, a resident of Rajpura, and Sikander Singh, 37, a resident of Mohali, guilty under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, observing that both were in joint conscious possession of a commercial quantity of contraband. According to the prosecution, the two were intercepted during a naka on Airport Road near Satsang Bhawan, Zirakpur, on August 22, 2024. The accused, travelling in an Innova Crysta, allegedly attempted to flee but were apprehended by the police. During the search, conducted in the presence of a gazetted officer after following due procedure, officials recovered seven plastic bags from the boot of the vehicle. Each bag contained 25 kg of poppy husk, taking the total recovery to 175 kg. The court noted that the large quantity of contraband could not have gone unnoticed and rejected the de'fence of Sikander Singh, who claimed he had taken a lift and was unaware of the contents in the vehicle. Relying on forensic examination reports, which confirmed the presence of narcotic substances, the court held that the recovered quantity fell under the "commercial quantity" category under the NDPS Act. During sentencing, the prosecution argued for a strict punishment citing the drug menace, while the convicts sought leniency, stating that they were sole breadwinners of their families. Taking into account the nature of the offence, the court sentenced both to 12 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs.1.5 lakh each. In case of default in payment of fine, they will undergo an additional six months of rigorous imprisonment.The court also ordered that the period already spent in custody during investigation and trial be set off against the sentence....