In Brief
The appellant was convicted of drug possession (20 grams Opium and 60 grams Charas) under Sections 17(b) and 20(A) of the NDPS Act and sentenced to two years and six months respectively. The High Court upheld the conviction. The Supreme Court held that 20 grams of Opium constitutes a small quantity falling under Section 17(a), not 17(b). The Court reduced the Section 17(a) sentence to six months (the maximum then applicable), maintained the Section 20(b)(ii)(A) conviction and sentence, upheld all fines, and directed both sentences to run concurrently.
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