THE Delhi High Court has suspended the 10-year jail term of a Zimbabwean national in a narcotics-related case, citing irregularities in the recovery of the contraband.
Justice Anish Dayal stated that the appellant, Betty Rame, may have a case to argue regarding the defective sampling at the time of seizure, and considering she has already served a substantial period of the sentence, the appeal is likely to take time for a hearing.
As reported by The Zimbabwe Mail, Betty Rame, aged 38, was apprehended by a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) team in April 2018 at the IGI Airport in Delhi with two concealed bags containing a crystalline substance.
The substance tested positive for Methamphetamine. In August 2021, Rame was convicted and sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of ₹1 lakh (US$1300) under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Rame’s counsel argued that the NCB did not follow proper procedures in collecting the sample. It was contended that the contraband was seized from two separate bags, which were subsequently mixed, contrary to the standing order that the contents of the bags should not have been mixed to preserve the identity of the substance.
Based on these arguments and the likelihood of a prolonged appeal process, the Delhi High Court decided to suspend the 10-year jail term of Betty Rame.
