Bhubaneswar: A man has been sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment by a local court in Bhubaneswar after being found guilty in a drug-related case, according to an official report.

Chittaranjan Sahoo, aged 39, was convicted by the second additional district judge-cum-special judge (NDPS) under pertinent sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985.

In addition to the prison term, the court has levied a fine of Rs 1 lakh on Sahoo. Should he fail to pay this amount, he will face an additional year of rigorous imprisonment, the officer noted.

This conviction follows Sahoo's arrest by the Special Task Force (STF) of the Odisha Crime Branch in May 2023, during which he was allegedly involved in the distribution of brown sugar (heroin) from a rented residence in the Unit-8 area of Bhubaneswar.

Authorities recovered 1,100 grams of brown sugar along with other incriminating evidence during the operation.

This marks the fourth instance in Odisha where an individual has received the maximum sentence of 20 years under the NDPS Act, as confirmed by an STF official.