971 drug accused still at large in state
More than six months after the Punjab and Haryana High Court was assured of a special drive to nab absconding accused in drug cases across Punjab, 971 accused remain at large in cases registered prior to August 31 last year.
Information to this effect was given before Justice NS Shekhawat’s Bench. As the matter came up for resumed hearing, the state counsel informed the court that 1,304 accused were to be arrested in drug cases registered before May 31, 2024. Another 542 accused were added between May 31 and August 31, 2024, taking the total number of absconding accused to 1,846. The counsel added 875 accused were taken into custody, leaving 971 still untraced.
“It has also been mentioned that even instructions have been issued to all the field units/wing of the Punjab Police to make sincere and earnest efforts to arrest all accused, who are evading arrest even after a lapse of more than six months' period after registration of the FIR,” the Bench observed.
The court had earlier asked the DGP to issue directions to all SSPs to monitor probe in such matters. He was also asked to elaborate on drug cases where the accused have not been arrested for more than six months. The court observed the police were not only had legal obligation to arrest the accused but also to initiate the PO proceedings and attach properties. But surprisingly such efforts were not made by the investigating officers or SHOs of 19 police stations in a district, reflecting that the higher officials there had not supervised the investigation.
