Probe production of banned drugs in pharma units, High Court tells CBI
In a major push to tackle the rampant drug menace in Punjab and Haryana, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Central Bureau of Investigation to form a special investigation team to probe the manufacturing and distribution of prohibited drugs by pharmaceutical companies in the region.
“All steps should be taken to curb the drug menace, which is rampant in both Punjab and Haryana as well as in the neighbouring states,” the court asserted.
Prelim report within 2 months
HC Bench said the CBI would be entitled to conduct searches, seizures, and arrests where necessary before it submits a preliminary report within two months.
The court expressed reservations about the Narcotics Control Bureau’s efforts to regulate the drug manufacturing
The direction came after the Bench of Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Sanjay Vashisth observed significant quantities of drugs, including tablets and vials, were being manufactured by companies in and around the two states, and were being regularly recovered, as evident from the cases before it.
The Bench expressed reservations about the Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) efforts to regulate the drug manufacturing despite claims of regulatory steps and coordination mechanisms. The court added the CBI would be entitled to conduct searches, seizures, and arrests where necessary before submitting a preliminary report within two months.
“It is made clear that appropriate manpower and logistics would be provided by the DGPs concerned of both states for the purpose as well as by the UT DGP. The CBI would be also free to take assistances from police officials of the neighbouring states for the purpose of effective investigation,” the Bench asserted.
As the matter came up for resumed hearing, CBI counsel Deepak Sabherwal submitted that the agency could “open” a preliminary inquiry and conduct an independent investigation, if the court directed. He added that assistance from NCB cells of Haryana and Punjab would be taken for the “necessary feedback and assistance”.
The Bench also took note of the NCB counsel’s submission that active steps were being taken to regulate the manufacturing of prohibited drugs by drug manufacturing companies. “However, we have our reservations regarding the performance of the NCB authorities with regard to such regulation of drug manufacturing because we have been noticing in various cases, which have come to the high court, that a huge quantity of drugs are being recovered — in the form of tablets, syringes and vials — which are manufactured by various drug manufacturing companies situated in and around Haryana as well as Punjab.”
The Bench directed the CBI to form an investigating team of responsible officers with high integrity. The court made it clear that the team might include some officers from the NCB. “The officers could be also included from the state police authorities. The control on all the officers would remain with the CBI and it will conduct the investigation as per their own method and submit a report to this court,” the Bench added.
