Those dealing in drugs worse than murder accused: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said those dealing in deadly drugs are hazardous to society, worse than a murder accused who killed one or two persons, as they inflict death blow to a number of innocent boys and girls with the menace.

"Organised activities of the underworld and the clandestine smuggling of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances into this country and illegal trafficking in such drugs and substances shall lead to drug addiction among a sizeable section of the public, particularly the adolescents and students of both sexes and the menace has assumed serious and alarming proportions in the recent years," a bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah said.

The court dismissed an appeal filed by Gurdev Singh, against the Punjab and Haryana High Court's order which had rejected his appeal against 15 years jail term with a Rs 2 lakh fine for having been found in possession of one kg heroin, which was four times higher than the minimum commercial quantity.

The bench asked the courts to consider the deadly impact of drugs on society while imposing a sentence on a convict in a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

"It should be borne in mind that in a murder case, the accused commits the murder of one or two persons, while those persons who are dealing in narcotic drugs are instruments in causing death or in inflicting death blow to a number of innocent young victims who are vulnerable, it causes deleterious effects and deadly impact on the society, they are a hazard to the society," the bench added.