The Punjab and Haryana High Court has pulled up Haryana Police for dragging its feet in narcotics cases, directing the state’s top cop to prepare a detailed list of NDPS accused who have been left untouched for over six months.
The order came from Justice NS Shekhawat, who pointed out that investigations under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act across several districts showed “no effective supervision.”
The Court has now demanded a comprehensive affidavit from the Director General of Police, Haryana, listing:
-
FIRs under the NDPS Act still pending arrest for more than six months.
-
Names of accused who continue to roam free.
-
Steps taken by the police to apprehend them.
-
Whether investigating officers have faced consequences for negligence.
-
Efforts, if any, to declare such accused as proclaimed offenders under Section 84 of BNSS.
-
Applications, if filed, for seizure of absconders’ properties.
The matter was triggered by a plea from an accused seeking an impartial probe into a February drugs case. To the Court’s shock, the petitioner—already facing 12 criminal cases—remained at large six months after the FIR.
The bench didn’t mince words, remarking that such prolonged inaction hinted at a nexus between local police and drug traffickers.
Justice Shekhawat’s order requires the DGP to furnish the full picture before the next hearing on September 16.
