New Delhi, May 8 The Supreme Court on Friday expressed concern over the rising drug menace situation in Punjab, saying human toll was "alarming" and called for a fundamental shift in how the state tackles narcotics.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi referred to a recent incident involving a mother who lost all her five sons to drug addiction.
"See what we read. A mother is crying. She lost her fifth son to drugs. She lost all her children to drug addiction... Police need to be sensitised," the CJI said.
The bench said the drug menace has reached a point where central government intervention may be necessary.
"Perhaps central government intervention may be needed. But when they do intervene, do not think as if the Centre is interfering," the CJI said, asking both state and central agencies to work toward the singular goal of eradicating the drug menace.
"The common goal should be to curb the drug menace," he said.
The bench also pulled up state police for focusing on low-level offenders for "publicity" while allowing major traffickers to remain at large.
"The bigger sharks or influential ones should be arrested," Justice Kant said, adding that Ludhiana is the epicentre of such trade.
He noted that while small-time offenders are frequently arrested to garner "newspaper publicity," the "bigger sharks" and influential players running the trade escape scrutiny.
The bench also highlighted the huge pendency cases lodged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
To address this, it pledged to facilitate the creation of specialized NDPS courts across all states to expedite trials.
