1,447 NDPS accused not held even 6 months after FIR: Punjab Govt

In a startling disclosure, the Punjab Director-General of Police has told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that 1,447 accused in cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act remain at large, despite the passing of more than six months since the registration of FIRs against them.

An affidavit to this effect was placed before Justice NS Shekhawat’s Bench by the state police chief in compliance with an order dated August 12.

Appearing before the Bench, the state counsel said instructions were issued to the field units/wings of the Punjab Police on August 21, directing them to launch a special campaign to arrest accused evading the process of law for more than six months after the registration of FIRs against them under the provisions of the NDPS Act.

The state counsel said a special campaign would be launched in September itself. Fixing the case for further hearing in October third week, Justice Shekhawat directed that a fresh status report in the present case might be filed by way of an affidavit by the Director-General of Police by the next date of hearing.

Justice Shekhawat had called for details after noticing that 97 accused had not been arrested for the past over six months in 83 criminal cases registered under the NDPS Act in Bathinda district alone.

Justice Shekhawat was hearing a drugs case where an accused seeking anticipatory bail had not been arrested for the past 11 months. Taking up the matter, Justice Shekhawat, on a previous date of hearing, directed Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police to file an affidavit mentioning all cases registered under the NDPS Act at police stations across the district, where the accused were not arrested for the past six months.

Justice Shekhawat asserted the police were not only having legal obligation to arrest the accused, but also to initiate the PO proceedings against them and to attach their properties. Surprisingly, such efforts were not made by the investigating officers/station house officers of the 19 police stations in the district, clearly reflecting that the higher police officials there had not supervised the investigation in these cases.