*JKP in dock as acquittals outnumber convictions
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 23: The drug cartels are hell bent to spoil the young generation of the State by luring them to drug abuses and readily making available narcotics and intoxicants. However, the approach towards dealing with such cases remains a matter of serious concern as acquittals under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPSA) cases outnumber convictions thereby providing boost to the drug mafia.
The designs of the drug cartels can be easily gauged from the fact that whopping 968 quintals of narcotics drugs and more than 7 lakh intoxicants were seized in Jammu and Kashmir during the past five years.
According to an official document of the State Home Department, Jammu and Kashmir Police and other agencies made seizure of 968 quintals of narcotics drugs during the period between 2009 and 2013. Of 968 quintals of drugs, the major quantity was of opium derivatives followed by cannabis and charas. There was hardly any kind of narcotic drug, which was not seized during this period.
The total seizure includes 47791.89 kilograms of opium derivatives, 2820 kilograms of cannabis, 1075.096 kilograms of charas, 133.60 kilograms of heroin/brown sugar, 43.4 kilograms of Ganja, nearly 5 kilograms of opium and some quantity of cocaine, morphine, smack and hashish.
As far as opium derivatives are concerned, the seizure was 10961.505 kilograms in 2009; 23057.750 kilograms in 2010; 9681.067 kilograms in 2011; 1980.550 kilograms in 2012 and 2111.018 kilograms in 2013.
Similarly, 52.460 kilograms of cannabis was seized in 2009; 1317.465 Kgs in 2010; 244.906 kilograms in 2011; 662.459 kilograms in 2012 and 542.830 kilograms in 2013. As far as charas is concerned, the seizure was 168.775 kilograms in 2009; 218.760 kilograms in 2010; 396.658 Kgs in 2011; 177.937 Kgs in 2012 and 112.966 kilograms in 2013.
Out of 133.60 kilograms of heroin/brown sugar seized in 5 years, 23.865 kilograms was recovered in 2009; 28.704 Kgs in 2010; 33.542 Kgs in 2011; 20.159 Kgs in 2012 and 27.330 kilograms in 2013.
The drug cartels are not only targeting young generation belonging to middle and upper middle sections of the society but also leaving no stone unturned to drag youth of lower middle section of the society to the drug abuses by making readily available intoxicants, which cost less as compared to narcotics drugs.
Substantiating this, the Home Department document said that more than 7 lakh intoxicants were seized during the last five years. These intoxicants include 6,59,444 capsules/ tablets, 43727 bottles of syrup and 2943 intoxicant injections.
In 2009, State Police and other agencies seized 82431 intoxicant capsules/tablets while as this number rose to 1,47,584 in 2010. In 2011, the seizure was 1,96,346 capsules/tablets while as the seizure in 2012 was 1,06,590 and 1,26,493 in 2013.
Notwithstanding the fact that drug cartels have been leaving no stone unturned to spoil the younger generation of the State, the investigations in the cases registered under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPSA) continued to be of poor quality resulting into defeating of cases in the courts of law and subsequent acquittals of the drug smugglers/peddlers.
During the period between 2009 and 2013 a total of 93 drug-smugglers/peddlers were convicted under the NDPSA but during this period the number of acquittals was 840 and this situation not only puts State Police in the dock but also raises eye-brows about those who conducted investigation into the cases which culminated in acquittals.
A total of 121 drug smugglers/peddlers were acquitted in 2009 while as the number of acquittals was 88 in 2010. In 2011, a total of 125 smugglers were acquitted while as 237 persons were acquitted by the courts because of faulty investigations in 2012. During last year, the courts acquitted 269 persons booked under NDPSA.
As far as convictions are concerned, 8 persons were convicted in 2009; 14 in 2010; 18 in 2011; 40 in 2012 and 13 in 2013.
The trend of last five years indicates that on a average more than 300 NDPSA cases are registered every year in Jammu and Kashmir and the situation warrant State Police to create a special wing to deal with NDPSA cases on scientific manner so that acquittal rate is brought down.
It is pertinent to mention here that State High Court has already taken serious note of the alarming acquittals in NDPSA cases and has issued directions seeking information about the steps being taken by the police to bring down the acquittal rate.
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