HC seeks action-taken report on Tribune's 'heroin openly sold here' exposé

Taking suo motu cognisance of The Tribune report "Heroin openly sold here’: Bathinda villagers paint message for admin', the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday sought a detailed affidavit from the state on the issue.

Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, heading the Bench, issued notice of motion to Punjab after perusing the news item. The Bench directed the state to place on record the affidavit specifying the action taken to prevent the sale of the contraband in the village.

The direction came after the state counsel accepted notice in the court. The report, published in The Tribune, highlighted how villagers, frustrated with the alleged unchecked sale of narcotics and the recent death of a youth from suspected overdose, painted messages on walls pointing at the houses of purported drug dealers—after which the police rushed to erase the writings.

The Court asked Punjab to detail its immediate response, ongoing steps for ensuring effective policing, and measures proposed to prevent recurrence of such incidents. The matter will be taken up after the state files its reply.