NDPS Act: Police to plead for bail cancellation of repeat offenders

To break supply chains and prevent repeat offenders from getting involved in the illicit drug trade, the Shimla police have decided to move applications for the cancellation of bails of such individuals who have a history of being arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985.

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Under the initiative, the Shimla police have decided to move petition in courts with comprehensive information, including field and practical implications in the field. The discussions in the National Narcotics Coordination Portal (N-cord) meetings and reports of psychiatrists will also be included to substantiate the facts. Besides, the police will move application to cancel the bails of such offenders under the NDPS Act who have already received bail.

With this, the police aim to reduce the involvement of repeat offenders and to break the supply chain, thus reducing the drug trade within the district.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Shimla Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi said the incarceration of the criminals who had a shoddy history as repeat offenders was crucial to de-addict society by the stern enforcement of law. He said there were many offenders who were earlier arrested under the NDPS Act but were bailed out. “What’s concerning is that these offenders again get involved in illicit drug trade after coming out on bail. Not only do they get back in the trade, they flourish in drug trade. Therefore, there is a need not to grant bail to such offenders so that drug trade could be eradicated effectively,” he said.

“These repeat offenders have become major super-spreaders when they come out on bail,” he added.

One such example of an accused being repeatedly involved in drug trade is inter-state drug kingpin Vijay Soni, who was recently arrested by the Solan police. As per the records of the Shimla police, Soni already had five cases registered against him in Shimla district under the NDPS Act over the past few years. The cases include three at the Theog police station, and one each at the Dhalli and Boileauganj police stations. Out of these cases, four were registered against him in 2023 only. However, as he got out on bail, Soni was able to continue with his operations.

The Shimla police, under its social integrated intelligence network (SIINS) has been working on a major crackdown against the drug peddlers. As many as 110 persons including inter-state drug racket kingpin Sandeep Shah have been arrested under NDPS Act in the district so far this year.