Punjab Drug Menace Terrible, Police Only Catching Small Peddlers: CJI Surya Kant

The Supreme Court today pulled up Punjab State authorities over their failure to tackle drug abuse and trafficking in the state. The Chief Justice of India commented that the State Police arrests small-level peddlers for publicity, but fails to act against persons running the rackets, including some influential persons.

"In Punjab, condition is terrible. There are instances now surfacing in public domain...an old woman, more than 60 years...crying because she lost her 5th son to drug addition. All of her 5 children have died, one after the other. Look at the plight of that mother. This is the second instance that has happened in last 2 weeks. What is the State doing?," CJI Surya Kant commented.

Stressing the importance of catching the "bigger sharks", CJI said :

"Today, I don't want to comment on your police functioning. They need to be sensitized. Whom they are picking up and whom they are letting off - it's known to everyone. So please do something...increase in cases is so alarming that it's a situation which requires to be revisited by all stakeholders. From judicial side, I will ensure that all High Courts provide full support...these bigger sharks that are involved, instead of small peddlers, we need to catch hold. Bigger sharks, as particularly influential people are involved. Otherwise situation is going out of hand."

The CJI said that the police was more interested in cathcing some small time peddlers, which is given wide publicity.

"Problem is your police is more keen in getting publicity in newspaper. They catch hold a small villager, poor boy, get him photographed and come in the newspaper. As if you have done a very commendable job. I have dealt with that case in HC, I know very well. Who are operating and how these things are taking place. Why don't you go to root of the matter? You are picking up people when something comes in market. How is it reaching there? Ask your people, they will tell you which is that market in Ludhiana that unfortunately at that time they said has become epicentre. These things are known to your agency."

A bench of CJI Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was dealing with the suo motu case taken up for creation of exclusive courts across the country for expeditious disposal of trials under special statutes like the UAPA, NDPS, etc.

After it passed an order providing a broad framework for number of special courts to be constituted based on number of trials pending in a State/UT, the bench turned to the State of Punjab, questioning its failure to tackle the prevailing drug menace.

The CJI, who hails from Haryana and was earlier a judge at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, recounted during the hearing his experience with NDPS cases to the State counsel. Though he initially said that he did not wish to comment on the State police's questioning, he subsequently went on to remark that the police authorities are "known" for the kind of persons they pick up and let go.

When the State counsel submitted that the State would take steps to ensure that no accused goes scot free, the CJI emphasized that the State must catch hold of "bigger sharks". He recalled that as a judge, he received "threats" from certain "nasty persons", but was not precluded from passing orders in this regard.

"Don't go by faces who are operating there only. There are cases operating by different [power]. I have seen it. I have suffered also. Lot of threats and all these things were given by the nasty people...but ofcourse I did not fear and you know my orders there", CJI said.

The CJI also expressed to Addl Solicitor General SD Sanjay, for the Union, that there can be a central agency to monitor NDPS cases on a pan-India level. "Maybe think of setting up some statutory mechanism where the agencies can well coordinate, their powers are well defined. Suppose there's a big supplier in State A, that information should be shared immediately in other states also to establish...they don't operate in silos. There will be a deep-rooted syndicate, a mafia, operating. So unless you have state coordination, you will not be able to..." he stated.

The CJI further underlined that Central government's intervention may be required in some cases, and in that situation, states should have a positive approach. "They should not feel centre is interfering...motive should be to curb this crime", he noted.

Case Title: IN RE: CREATION OF SPECIAL EXCLUSIVE COURTS Versus, SMW(Crl) No. 1/2026