Sentence reduction under the NDPS Act upheld for a first-time offender after long custody and mitigating personal circumstances.

Conviction under the NDPS Act was maintained, but the High Court reduced the sentence after considering the appellant's first-time offender status, advanced age, long custody since 28.05.2007, and absence of any other pending criminal case. Applying the principle that the ends of justice may be met by imposing the minimum substantive punishment in an appropriate case, the Court held that the substantive imprisonment required moderation. The fine was left undisturbed, while the default sentence was also reduced and directed to run consecutively for each default.

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Issues: Whether, while maintaining the conviction under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, the sentence of rigorous imprisonment and the default sentence required reduction in view of the appellant being a first-time offender, his age, and the period already undergone in custody.

Analysis: The conviction was not challenged and was therefore maintained. On sentence, the Court considered that the appellant had been in custody since 28.05.2007, was of advanced age, had no other pending criminal case, and was convicted for the first time. In these circumstances, and applying the principle that the ends of justice may be met by imposing the minimum substantive punishment in an appropriate case, the Court held that the substantive sentence warranted reduction. The fine was kept intact, but the default sentence was also moderated.

Conclusion: The substantive sentence was reduced from 15 years' rigorous imprisonment to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment for each offence, the conviction was maintained, and the default sentence was reduced from 2 years' rigorous imprisonment to 3 months' rigorous imprisonment for each default, with the default sentences directed to run consecutively.

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