CHANDIGARH – The Punjab and Haryana High Court wants to know from the State of Punjab whether it has initiated steps for the extradition of offenders from abroad in the drug trafficking case.
As the matter came up for resumed hearing, a status report was filed in sealed cover, which was returned to Punjab Advocate-General after perusal.
Setting four-week deadline for the filing of the affidavit, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Ajay Tewari also directed the handing over of an advance copy to Navkiran Singh, counsel for petitioner-organisation Lawyers for Human Right International.
The Bench also gave a day’s time to the Punjab Police to take necessary action for protection for Assistant Director of Jalandhar Enforcement Directorate Niranjan Singh.
The direction came after senior counsel representing the Enforcement Directorate told the court that that police protection, though sought, had not been provided to Niranjan Singh.
The case will now come up for further hearing on September 15.
As the case come up for resumed hearing, the Punjab Government found itself up against the wall for its inability to convince the Bench on action taken against drug addicts and smugglers.
The Bench was told that around 10,000 persons had been arrested for their alleged involvement in drug-related cases. But, the government found itself fumbling on the issue of providing information on the number of cases registered against drug addicts and smugglers.
Demanding probe by the Central Bureau of Instigation into the case, Navkiran Singh contended before the Bench that the office-bearers of political parties were also involved in the drug racket.
The Punjab Government had earlier told the High Court that 58 persons had been arrested in the international drug racket case. The state government had also claimed the registration of seven FIRs.
The Bench was also told that the Chandigarh unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau had seized approximately 51.49 kg of contraband.
The counsel for the Union of India Onkar Singh Batalvi had told the court that beginning this year, 11.61 kg of Hashish, often known as “hash”, was seized. Another 39.88 kg of heroin was taken hold of.
