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Drugs case: Give status of SIT reports, rules Punjab and Haryana High Court

With court in sealed cover | Next hearing on May 10

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 29

More than seven years after the drugs case came under the judicial scanner, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today called for a status report on an application seeking directions to the state of Punjab to act upon three reports submitted between February and May 2018 by the then special investigation team head Siddharth Chattopadhyaya.

The application placed before the Bench of Justice Augustine George Masih and Justice Sandeep Moudgil added the reports contained the outcome of an inquiry conducted by the SIT against “the erring police officials, who are allegedly acting in connivance with the drug traffickers”. Taking up the matter, the Bench also fixed the case for further hearing on May 10.

In the application, intervener in the case Navkiran Singh contended the sealed reports dated February 1, March 15 and May 8, 2018, were lying in a sealed cover. “It is pertinent to act upon reports so that further action may be taken in order to break the nexus between law enforcement agency and drug traffickers,” he added.

Navkiran further added Punjab’s then Advocate-General had expressed the state’s willingness to take action on the reports lying in the sealed cover, on a previous date of hearing. The assurance to act came after the court questioned the state of Punjab on not acting on the reports lying in the sealed covers with the High Court.

An FIR was registered on December 20, 2021, against former minister Bikram Singh Majithia under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act on the STF’s report. But action was not taken on the three reports submitted by the SIT.

“It is the feeling of the applicant that the state of Punjab is going soft on the police officials. Hence, the present application,” Navkiran added.

Appearing before the Bench, Navkiran submitted young people were dying because of the drugs, while the police officials, conniving with the drug mafia, were getting away with it as action was yet to be initiated on the reports. He added the opening of the reports was also essential as the general impression among the people of the state was that the police officials were hand in glove with those involved.

Plea before Bench

  • A plea said SIT reports contained the outcome of a probe conducted against “erring” cops allegedly acting in connivance with drug traffickers
  • It was pertinent to act upon these sealed reports, dated Feb 1, March 15 and May 8, 2018, to break the nexus, it added

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#bikram majithia #drug menace #navkiran singh #siddharth chattopadhyaya

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