Punjab High Court Demands Answers on 2020 Drug Case and Police Cooperation

The Director General of Police (DGP) for Punjab Police, Gaurav Yadav, made a court appearance on Thursday concerning a significant drug case from the year 2020. The Punjab and Haryana High Court expressed strong disapproval regarding the lack of cooperation from the police and voiced its displeasure about the absence of efforts from the police side.
The Punjab government and the Punjab Police have also received sharp criticism in front of DGP Gaurav Yadav.
The High Court pointed out that it has been closely monitoring the situation and noticed that the Punjab government hasn’t taken any substantial action on the drug issue. This gives rise to the perception that there might be collusion between the Punjab Police and drug traffickers.
Moreover, the High Court expressed that both the Punjab government and the police have failed to address the issue adequately. After DGP’s apology, the court issued immediate orders for corrective action. Additionally, it has provided reassurance that the Punjab Police will take concrete steps.
In the context of the drug case, the Muktsar Police had apprehended a suspect. In 2020, charges of drug trafficking were filed against the accused. The accused had filed a petition for regular bail in the High Court. The accused informed the court that all 20 witnesses against him were police personnel. Although a charge sheet was submitted against him in 2021, only one witness has appeared in court.
Expressing concerns about the absence of witnesses, the court criticized the police for their conduct. The High Court noted that in court proceedings, continuous testimonies were presented by police employees, yet only one of them actually appeared as a witness. This inconsistency in the police administration’s approach has hindered the proper handling of cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.