High court slams Punjab for failing to curb drug menace

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has made it clear that a startling surge in bail pleas particularly in heroin-related cases during the past month indicated the state’s inability to address the critical issue.

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Rapping the state for its failure to effectively combat drug-trafficking and addiction, Justice Sandeep Moudgil dismissed an anticipatory bail plea after asserting that the drug crisis was "eating the future of the country like a termite" and posing a significant threat to the nation’s youth and socio-economic fabric.

“This court would note that in the past one month there is unexpected surge in the petitions for the grant of bail particularly involving heroin-contraband, which indicates the state government’s failure to curb the menace,” Justice Moudgil asserted.

In his detailed order, Justice Moudgil called for unwavering resolve and stringent action against the masterminds behind drug-trafficking networks. The court asserted that the modus operandi of the kingpins, often operating from the shadows, was required to be met with the full force of the law. The sanctity of the rule of law was required to be upheld at all costs, and leniency was not to be granted, regardless of the quantity of contraband involved.

Justice Moudgil asserted the petitioner in the case at hand was accused of smuggling heroin since 2022 and introducing co-accused to the illicit trade. A massive recovery of 9 kg of heroin, deemed commercial in nature, was made. The court asserted that the petitioner was part of a criminal conspiracy aimed at facilitating drug-trafficking.

Describing drug addiction as a "social malady", Justice Moudgil said it eroded the vitals of society and the economy and the illicit money generated from drug-trafficking fuelled other illegal activities. He noted that individuals who fall prey to narcotics are reduced to a "zombie-like existence" losing their humanity and rushing towards an early demise.

The accused in the case was seeking anticipatory bail in a case registered in March last year under the provisions of the NDPS Act at Sadar police station in Fazilka district. Among other things, he was accused of conspiring to transport narcotics from Pakistan via drone. Justice Moudgil found no grounds for leniency, given the serious nature of the allegations and the involvement of commercial quantities of contraband.

The observations are significant as these underscore the urgent need for a multi-pronged strategy to combat drug-trafficking and addiction, including stricter enforcement of the NDPS Act, enhanced vigilance along border areas, and robust rehabilitation programmes for addicts. The court also called for greater accountability from the state government, emphasising that the lives of the country’s youth and its future were at stake.