Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, October 5
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today advanced the hearing of Punjab drugs menace case by almost a month.
The suo motu or “court on its own motion case” against the state of Punjab, earlier scheduled to be heard on November 15, will now be taken up for hearing by the newly constituted Bench of Justice Augustine George Masih and Justice Ashok Kumar Verma on October 13, just before the High Court closes down for the Dasehra break. The direction came after counsel for the parties, including the state, said they had no objection to advancing the date. Justice Masih was a member of the Bench that initially took suo motu cognisance of a letter forwarded to the High Court by retired IPS officer Shashi Kant way back in September 2013, underscoring drug menace in Punjab and requesting for judicial scrutiny.
Kant was assisting the Bench of then Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Masih in another petition by Tarlochan Singh and other petitioners on the specific issue of drug menace in the jails of Punjab.
The suo motu case came up for hearing on a regular basis till March last year, but came to a standstill after the High Court went into restrictive functioning mode following Covid outbreak, compelling advocate Navkiran Singh to file an application for advancing the date of hearing in the case.
Appearing on the behalf of Lawyers for Human Rights International, counsel Navkiran Singh also prayed that the Bench “may open” a report lying in a sealed cover. He had contended the matter related to drug mafia operating in Punjab that had international tentacles.
“The sealed reports, which have been filed by Niranjan Singh, the then Deputy Director, Enforcement Directorate, and the Special Task Force, as well as the state of Punjab, need to be opened and considered by this court, Navkiran submitted.
Delayed by Covid
- Sept 2013: HC takes suo motu note of retired IPS officer Shashi Kant’s letter on drug menace
- Jan 2015: Kant says he’ll reveal names of drug-lords figuring in a list given to then CM in 2007
- Feb 2017: HC calls for details of accused initially named in drug cases, but exonerated by an SIT
- May 2018: DGP Sidddharth Chattopadhyaya submits a report in a sealed cover
- March 2020: Case listed on regular basis till HC goes into restrictive functioning due to Covid
HC advances Punjab drugs case hearing by month
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