Over 80% drug case accused absconding in Punjab
With a majority of NDPS accused evading arrest for years, Supreme Court asks AAP government, police to act urgently and bring them to book
Only 13% of the total number of accused get arrested in Punjab in drugs-related cases, while a majority manage to abscond, the Supreme Court has observed, asking the new Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state to crack the whip on the fugitives.
Also read: Over 3 million people in Punjab consume drugs: PGIMER study
Terming the issue “most serious”, a bench of justices AM Khanwilkar and AS Oka urged the Punjab government and its police to pull up their socks and bring the absconding to book for offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
“This is a most serious matter. Steps will have to be taken urgently. More than 225 accused have been absconding for a long time and they have been declared proclaimed offenders. You will need to arrest them,” the bench told advocate Jaspreet Gogia, who was appearing for the Punjab government, on Monday.
The court added: “Look at your status report. Only 13% of the accused are arrested in the NDPS cases. Your police force will have to act urgently.”
Punjab submits status report of cases
The bench’s comments came after it went through a status report submitted by Gogia regarding the number of accused absconding and the arrests made since November 2019 when the court had taken a suo motu cognisance (on its own motion) of a large number of accused evading arrest in NDPS cases.
On March 7, Gogia sought an adjournment in the case, citing the assembly elections. She filed the latest status report on March 25, which was taken up on Monday by the bench, which expressed hope that the new government will pay attention to the problem of fugitives in drug cases.
SC wants another status report after a month
“Now, you have a new government in the state. With the new dispensation, this could be expedited is what we hope and believe,” the bench told Gogia, pointing out that the latest status report reveals arrests of a miniscule number of accused as compared to the total number of absconders.
It asked Gogia to convey the views of the top court to the authorities concerned, while seeking another status report after a month. “We hope that substantial progress will be made by the local police in the meantime. The next status report should be submitted on or before April 28,” recorded the bench in its order.
The bench had taken suo motu notice of the matter in 2019 after it came across a petition for pre-arrest bail by Gurdit Singh, an accused in an NDPS case, whose anticipatory bail was rejected by the court in February 2016. It wondered how the accused succeeded in evading arrest for three years, only to be told that there were a large number of cases in Punjab where the accused in NDPS cases remained elusive.
Committed to taking firm action: AAP
In July 2021, the bench called for a report from the secretary of the home department in the state government on ensuring arrests of the accused evading arrests in drug cases.
“We hope that some sense of urgency and seriousness will prevail on the high officials dealing with the subject matter of missing accused/persons connected with the offences under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) in Punjab,” the court held in its order in October last year, expressing dissatisfaction over the steps taken to arrest those absconding.
As the state pleaded for another opportunity to show results, the court recorded in its order: “We give one more indulgence to the state to do the needful keeping in mind the seriousness of the situation and the large number of missing accused/persons connected with NDPS offences.”
AAP spokesperson Neel Garg said the Punjab government and the AAP are committed to taking firm action against drugs and breaking the nexus between smugglers, police and politicians. “We have been fighting on this issue since 2014. There can be no solution till the time this nexus and supply chain are broken. Our government has already declared (in the governor’s address) that we will do everything possible to end drug menace in the state within six months,” he said, adding, “The state government will also work for the rehabilitation of drug users.”