The Special Judge for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act-cum-I Additional District and Sessions Judge, West Godavari, Dr. M. Ramakrishnam Raju, on Friday convicted two Telangana residents, Karike Dayakar and Shivakumar Thalari for trafficking 428.675 kilograms of ganja and sentenced them to ten years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs. 1 lakh each.
The convicts — Karike Dayakar (26) of Medak district and Shivakumar Thalari (27) of Siddipet district — were found guilty under Sections 8(c) read with 20(b)(ii)(C) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, which penalizes possession and transport of commercial quantities of cannabis.
The case originated from an intelligence operation led by Shri Sadhu Narasimha Reddy, the Additional Commissioner of Customs (Preventive), Vijayawada, who on June 18, 2023, received credible information that a large consignment of ganja was being transported from Rajahmundry toward Vijayawada in an Eicher cargo vehicle (TS 12 UD 3086).
Acting on his directions, the information was relayed to Shri Rishi Goel, Commissioner of Customs, and a special team was constituted under Inspector N. Bhanu Rajesh and Superintendent R. Dayanand of the Customs Division, Kakinada. The team, accompanied by independent witnesses, mounted surveillance at the Kovvur Toll Plaza on National Highway 16.
At about 2:45 a.m. on June 19, 2023, the team intercepted the vehicle. The driver and co-driver — later identified as Dayakar and Thalari — initially denied carrying any goods. However, upon inspection, officers noticed irregularities in the truck’s container and discovered a concealed vertical chamber containing multiple gunny bags.
The vehicle was escorted to the Central GST Office, Rajahmundry, where a detailed search led to the recovery of 19 gunny bags and five additional packets, all wrapped in brown tape. The total seizure weighed 428.675 kilograms of ganja.
During questioning, both accused confessed that they were transporting the contraband from Rajahmundry to Thuljapur, Maharashtra, on the instructions of one Mukesh Tiwari, who remains absconding. Two mobile phones and the cargo vehicle were also seized.
The samples were certified before the magistrate and sent to the Central Revenue Control Laboratory (CRCL), Chennai, which confirmed the seized material to be ganja.
Following investigation by Superintendent S. Narasimha Rao, the Customs Department filed a complaint before the Special NDPS Court at Eluru. The prosecution examined 16 witnesses and produced over 50 exhibits.
The defence challenged the legality of the search, arguing that the Customs officers had not complied with the requirements of Sections 41 and 42 of the NDPS Act. However, the court held that the search and seizure were validly carried out under Section 43, as the interception occurred in a public place.
Judge Dr. Raju also rejected arguments regarding alleged procedural lapses, noting that the Customs officers had followed the law and that minor delays in obtaining inventory certification did not vitiate the prosecution’s case.
Citing Supreme Court rulings including Narcotics Control Bureau v. Kashif (2024) and Bharat Aambale v. State of Chhattisgarh (2025), the court emphasized that delayed compliance with Section 52-A of the NDPS Act does not automatically nullify a conviction when the evidence is otherwise credible.
While both accused pleaded for leniency citing poverty and dependent family members, the court observed that offences involving commercial quantities of narcotics carry mandatory minimum punishment under the NDPS Act, leaving no scope for reduction.
Accordingly, both Dayakar and Thalari were sentenced to ten years of rigorous imprisonment and fined ₹1,00,000 each, with a default sentence of six months’ simple imprisonment.
The court ordered that the seized mobile phones used by the convicts be auctioned and proceeds confiscated by the State. The seized ganja (428.675 kg), along with packaging materials and sample packets, is to be handed over to the Drug Disposal Committee for destruction after the appeal period.
In conclusion, the court commended the Customs Preventive Commissionerate’s prompt action, led by Commissioner Sadhu Narasimha Reddy, stating that “the case exemplifies the effectiveness of coordinated intelligence and field operations in curbing narcotics trafficking across state borders.”
The conviction, it noted, serves as a strong reminder of the judiciary’s zero-tolerance stance toward drug trafficking and the stringent punishment prescribed under the NDPS Act.
Case Details
Case Title: Superintendent of Customs Versus Karike Dayakar, Shivakumar Thalari
Date: 24/10/2025
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 Act-cum-I Additional District and Sessions Judge, West Godavari, Dr. M. Ramakrishnam Raju, on Friday convicted two Telangana residents, Karike Dayakar and Shivakumar Thalari for trafficking 428.675 kilograms of ganja and sentenced them to ten years of rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs. 1 lakh each.){kind=link}