Assam Woman Sentenced to 10 Years for Heroin Possession in Arunachal Pradesh

A special court in Papum Pare district, Arunachal Pradesh, sentenced 41‑year‑old Saheeda Khatoon, a resident of Nagaon district, Assam, to ten years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. She was convicted for possessing 34.72 grams of heroin, which police recovered from her rented house in Banderdewa during a raid on 17 February 2025. The court, presided over by Special Judge Dr Hirendra Kashyap, rejected her plea for leniency, noting her alleged role in supplying drugs to youths and her involvement in multiple NDPS cases. The sentence includes credit for 11 months and 24 days already spent in custody, and a further two‑month simple imprisonment if the fine is not paid.

The judgment highlighted the growing drug menace in the Itanagar‑Naharlagun region, with the court observing that drug trafficking is destroying the future of the youth.