Take effective steps to curb drug supply & consumption in Punjab: High Court to Police

Read Order: Tarsem Singh v. State of Punjab 

LE Correspondent

Chandigarh, July 21, 2021: While granting bail in a narcotics case, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed that a thorough probe should be conducted in the matter by the DGP Punjab to bust the drug cartel and take effective steps to curb the spread of drug supply and consumption in the state.

The High Court also observed that the supply of drugs in Punjab was being carried out by way of creating fake companies and fake medical stores are being run without valid licenses.

In the present case, one Manpreet Singh, a resident of Hargobind Nagar, Ludhiana was apprehended by the police on January 6, 2019 during checking at the main Samrala Chowk. On a search being conducted as per rules, he was found in possession of contraband — five boxes of Tramadol Hydrocholride Tablets100 MG and besides similar tablets without boxes. Total 2,950 tablets were recovered from his possession and he was arrested. 

During interrogation, the accused disclosed that he had supplied tablets to M/s Channi Medicos of which Tarsem Singh, presently petitioner in this case, was proprietor. 

In his petition, Tarsem Singh contended that has been wrongly involved in the case. He said he runs a medical store in the name of M/s Channi Medicos holding requisite licenses which are valid. The licences have been issued by the Department of Drugs Control and he is authorized to sell medicines and drugs. 

The petitioner claimed that Manpreet Singh had not supplied any contraband to him nor any such recovery has been effected from him. He claimed he has nothing to do with the contraband recovered from Manpreet Singh and that he does not have any past criminal record and has joined the investigation and rendered full cooperation. 

The petitioner further contended that in the written reply filed on behalf of the State, it has been contended that as per information received from manufacturers of the recovered tablets, such tablets besides other materials had been sold to Krishna Medical Store, Budhladha, Gagan Medicos, Ludhiana, Dhillon Medicals, Pindi Street. 

The petitioner further claimed that the manufacturers have themselves created fake companies for supply of opioid tablets to facilitate drug trafficking in Punjab as well as other states, and the persons responsible for running these manufacturing company have been booked in many criminal cases. 

Granting bail, the bench of Justice HS Madaan stated, “Keeping in view the facts and circumstances of the case I find that there is not enough material at this stage to connect the present petitioner with recovery or to show that he has committed any offence under the NDPS Act. Under the circumstances, the interim bail granted to the petitioner on 9.4.2019 is made absolute, subject to the conditions that he will not leave India and surrender his passport to local court.” 

The High Court further said, “With these observations, it is directed that a thorough probe in the matter be got conducted by DGP Punjab to bust the drug cartel and to take effective steps to curb the spread of drug supply and consumption in the state by catching hold of the persons who are supplying the drugs by way of creating fake companies or otherwise and fake medical stores are being run without valid licenses”.