STF Chief blames district police on lapses in drug cases in Punjab

CHANDIGARH: Chief of the Special Task Force on drugs, Mohd Mustafa, blamed the district police in Punjab for ‘inadequate investigations’ of smugglers arrested under the NDPS Act.

Mustafa on Tuesday said that the STF had come across cases in which challans in NDPS cases were deliberately delayed beyond the 180-day period to aid the accused.

“The STF has analysed numerous bail orders and court judgments of the acquitted and identified major shortcomings in the investigation,” he said.

In 685 cases of acquittal, instructions have been issued to file appeals against the order in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, he added.

Mustafa said a comprehensive action plan had been prepared to ensure all fugitive drug smugglers be brought to book. Directions have also been issued to keep a watch on as many as 71 major drug traffickers who are in different jails in the state.

He said the force had prepared a list of 140 POs, 332 absconders and 151 parole jumpers and directions have been issued to concerned police officials in all the districts to arrest them.