(1) Whoever abets, or is a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit, an offence punishable under this Chapter, shall, whether such offence be or be not committed in consequence of such abetment or in pursuance of such criminal conspiracy, and notwithstanding anything contained in section 116 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), be punishable with the punishment provided for the offence.
(2) A person abets, or is a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit, an offence, within the meaning of this section, who, in India, abets or conspires to the commission of any act in a place without and beyond India which—
(a) would constitute an offence if committed within India; or
(b) under the laws of such place, is an offence relating to narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances having all the legal conditions of corresponding offence under this Chapter.
Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 29
Section 29 prescribes punishment for abetment and criminal conspiracy to commit offences under the Act.
Section 29 ensures that all participants in narcotics conspiracies face full statutory punishment, regardless of their individual physical proximity to the contraband.
Section 29 is the universal joint-liability engine in narcotics trials. Conspirators, handlers, and couriers are all held jointly accountable for the full recovery, subjecting every member of a cartel to commercial quantity sentences.