In Brief
Anil Kumar was convicted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act) in one FIR and subsequently under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act in a separate complaint. The sentences imposed in both cases were running consecutively. He sought relief to make them run concurrently. The High Court rejected his plea. The Supreme Court held that courts have discretion under Section 427 Cr.P.C. to make sentences concurrent, exercisable on sound judicial principles based on the nature of offences and case facts. Given that both convictions related to narcotics offences and considering the circumstances, the Court directed the substantive sentences to run concurrently, while maintaining fine and default sentences as consecutive if unpaid.
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