Legal hurdles in nailing drug peddlers
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: March 25, 2023 -

BY urging the judges to aid in strengthening the legal system to ensure that those arrested with drugs are not granted bail and stressing on the need for political consensus in formulating stringent anti-drug laws, chief minister N Biren has underscored frustration of the government over perpetual drug smuggling activities in the state.

The fact that law enforcement agencies continue to seize different types of psychotropic drugs from all corners of the state amid intense campaigns against narcotic substances and poppy cultivation testifies that the battle will be a protracted and fruitless endeavour in case of lack of cohesion among the legislature, judiciary and executive.

In his address at the inaugural function of the 10th anniversary of High Court of Manipur on Thursday, the chief minister conceded that the state is in an alarming situation with problems of large-scale deforestation, illegal drug trafficking and illegal immigrants through the porous border and urged all competent authorities not to compromise on important issues relating to national and state security.

Apart from proposing incorporation of specific provisions so as to make the NDPS Act invoke dread among the drug smugglers, Biren informed that the government has sent an ordinance to the Home Ministry for rectifying the Act, which presently seems to be giving weightage to guaranteeing constitutional rights of the wrongdoers rather than saving the vulnerable youthful population.

As amending the ND&PS Act might be a time-consuming procedure and insertion of state-specific provisions remotely possible, the judiciary could boost the morale of the police by advising the latter to plug all loopholes which the bail petitioners might capitalise upon.

Moreover, considering the gravity of the drug peddling and abusing menace, it seems that the pre-condition of not effecting arrest if the seized drug quantity is not of the specified amount is anti-thesis to the situation as well as the general sentiment.

To the public, all drug peddlers are venomous and deserve to face harshest form of punishment, similar to those in Islamic nations where drug users are whipped in public and dealers given death penalty instantly.

While such form of punishment is improbable in the country where legal assistance is provided even if the accused person is not in a position to afford fee of the counsellor, there is substance in the chief minister’s appeal for joint and coordinated efforts among legislature, executive and judiciary to save the state from issues of drug menace, illegal immigrants and mass deforestation among others.

With state and central forces, and non-governmental organisations proactively involved in the campaign to prevent substance addiction and illicit drug trafficking with the stated objective to check further erosion of the social structure under the scourge of drugs, such commendable service to the society through their ceaseless endeavours and campaigns definitely deserve to have unflinching support of both the legislature and the judiciary.

It must be remembered that every time the court releases a suspect arrested in connection with drug smuggling case, there is subdued reactions and expression of opinions from various sections of the society that the legal system must be amended to leave no escape route for whosoever violates the law.