Misuse Of NDPS Act by Police Undermines Public Trust: Court

The Punjab and Haryana High Court (PHHC) has raised concerns about the misuse of the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act by police, highlighting how such actions damage public trust in law enforcement. During a hearing for Lovepreet Singh, who was arrested under the NDPS Act in Kapurthala district, the court found that the case against him was based on false charges. The First Information Report (FIR) claimed Singh fled from police and was later caught with narcotic capsules. However, a forensic report found the capsules contained only paracetamol. Justice Kirti Singh demanded a report from the Director General of Police, Panjab, seeking details on actions to be taken against the police officers involved. The court said that the misuse of the NDPS Act not only harasses innocent people but also shifts focus away from genuine drug-related crimes. In another case hearing a reference plea in an NDPS case, where one of the questions was whether a prolonged delay in the concluding trial could be a grounds for granting bail, the division bench of Justice Sureshwar Thakur and Justice Sudeepti Sharma said special courts trying the NDPS offenses should be created in Panjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh. According to Panjab Police, during the tenure of the AAP govt. from 16 Mar 2022 and 31 Aug 2024, they have filed 29,152 FIRs and made 39,840 arrests. In September 2023, the Panjab govt. had decided to not penalize those found with small quantities of drugs. Arrest numbers remain similar across govt.’s: 65,489 during SAD-BJP 2012-2017 and 68,575 during INC 2017-2022.