File fresh report on pending arrests in drug cases: HC

More than three months after the Punjab and Haryana High Court was assured of a special campaign to arrest accused in drug cases at large after six months of FIR registration, data furnished to the court suggests 1,304 accused were yet to be arrested. Among them are 729 persons from a list of 1,447 accused identified on September 5 and an additional 575 added between January 31 and May 31.

As the matter came up for resumed hearing, the Bench referred to its earlier order, in which it was noted that 1,447 accused in NDPS cases were yet to be arrested, even after a lapse of more than six months of FIR registration.

“The police had assured the court that a special campaign shall be launched in September to arrest the accused. The state counsel submits that out of those 1,447 accused, 729 accused are yet to be arrested. He further contends that 575 new accused have been added from January 31 to May 31. Thus, 1,304 accused are yet to be arrested in cases registered prior to May 31,” the Bench asserted, while calling for a comprehensive status report from the DGP.