New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India expressed deep distress on Friday regarding the escalating drug crisis in Punjab, highlighting the alarming human cost and the urgent need for a systemic overhaul. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi indicated that the gravity of the situation necessitates significant structural and policy-level interventions, potentially involving the central government. CJI Kant emphasized that the shared objective of both the state and centre must be the complete eradication of the drug menace, urging stakeholders to view such cooperation through a humanitarian rather than a political lens to ensure the safety of the public.
To illustrate the harrowing reality of the crisis, the Chief Justice cited a tragic incident involving a mother who lost all five of her sons to drug addiction. He remarked on the profound grief of families devastated by the trade and stressed that the police force must become more sensitive to the human dimensions of the problem. The court noted that in certain areas, particularly industrial hubs like Ludhiana, the situation has reached a critical stage that demands an immediate re-evaluation of current enforcement strategies. CJI Kant noted that the police must be more empathetic and focused on the root causes rather than just procedural arrests.
The bench further addressed the logistical challenges of the legal system, advocating for the strengthening of institutional mechanisms and the establishment of more specialized courts. CJI Kant committed to assisting High Courts across the country in setting up additional NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) courts to handle the burgeoning caseload. The court pointed out that the current judicial and enforcement infrastructure is under immense pressure, making it difficult to process cases efficiently without dedicated resources and a renewed focus on legal calibre.
A significant portion of the court’s observation focused on the perceived failure of law enforcement to target the masterminds behind the drug trade. The bench criticized the tendency of the police to arrest low-level offenders or “small fish” for public relations purposes while allowing influential traffickers and “big sharks” to remain at large. The justices called for a strategic recalibration of investigative efforts to ensure that those who finance and orchestrate large-scale smuggling operations are held accountable, rather than focusing solely on the victims of addiction or minor distributors. This shift in focus is deemed essential to breaking the cycle of addiction and supply that continues to plague the region.
