Punjab High Court Wants Process Of Bringing Foreign Drug Smugglers To Face Prosecution Expedited
CHANDIGARH – The Punjab and Haryana High Court asked the Union Ministry of External Affairs to spell out steps initiated by it to bring back the suspects against whom red corner notices were issued in the multi-crore drug racket.
As the case came up for resumed hearing this afternoon, the Division Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice PB Bajanthri also asked the CBI and the state police to coordinate with each other for ascertaining the whereabouts of each suspect on foreign lands before procuring provisional warrants for their arrests.
The Bench also made it clear that it would direct the MEA to initiate extradition proceedings once provisional arrest warrants were procured.
Taking a solemn view of the matter, the Bench asked the CBI if issuance of red corner notice served any purpose or was it is just sheer wastage of time. Responding the query, the counsel appearing for the premier investigating claimed it could not be said red corner notices were useless as it arrested five persons this year after issuing the notices.
The CBI also submitted they could only issue red corner notice through Interpol, but arrests could be made with the MEA’s intervention. Taking a note of the assertion, the Bench directed the CBI and the special investigation team of the state police probing the case to get the details of all suspects settled abroad within 60 days and inform the MEA for initiation of extradition process. Fixing January 19 as the next date of hearing, the Bench directed the parties to come up with status report.
Coming down heavily on the CBI for apparently going slow in the case, the high court on the previous date of hearing had summoned the Interpol in-charge of the premier investigating agency.
Rejecting the long-pending demand of the Opposition parties and some accused for a CBI probe into the drug racket, the court had earlier directed the constitution of a three-IPS officers’ supervisory committee.
