E-Paper
Impart training to cops handling drug seizure cases: HC to Punjab DGP
The HC directed that training be imparted at the police academies in Jalandhar and Phillaur and sought an intimation report in this regard within six months
Chandigarh
The Punjab and Haryana high court has directed the Punjab director general of police (DGP) to impart training to cops handling drugs seizure cases.
The directions were issued by high court bench of justice Sureshwar Thakur, while dealing with a bail plea in a drugs seizure case reported in Patiala in August 2021.
The HC directed that training be imparted at the police academies in Jalandhar and Phillaur and sought an intimation report in this regard within six months.
“If this court notices that any deliberate breaches or departures become yet visited qua the mandate of law, either by the investigating officers concerned, or by the chemical analysts concerned, thereupon, this court would become direct the DGP or the officer concerned to draw appropriate action in accordance with law on errant police official(s) concerned, or qua the errant chemical examiner(s) concerned,” the bench ordered.
It had come before court that as mandated in the law, prior warrants for seizures are not being obtained by the investigating officers, even if they had prior knowledge of someone possessing drugs and a magistrate was available for the same.
Also, it had come to light that at the time of production of the case property in the court, the investigating officers are “extremely negligent” in making testifications-- at times seals on recovered material do not match.
These “gross negligence” had on earlier occasions resulted in the court ordering acquittal of an accused as the seals of samples obtained did not match with the bulk parcel, the court observed.
In the case of forensic laboratory staff, the court observed that there had been instances of samples after examination sent back without proper seals or not sealed at all.
