In Brief
The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's decision to alter the appellant's conviction from Section 21(c) to Section 21(b) of the NDPS Act based on the actual quantity of pure heroin. While 500 grams of heroin was seized, chemical analysis showed only 43.9% purity (219.59 grams pure drug), placing it between "small quantity" and "commercial quantity." The Court further modified the sentence from 8 years to the period already served (over 6 years in custody since 2004), as the accused had been on bail since 2011. The conviction was upheld but the sentence was reduced to meet the ends of justice.
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