The High Court of Jharkhand on Friday has directed the state’s Director General of Police Anurag Gupta to collaborate with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the state government to develop a standard operating procedure (SOP) for sampling drugs seized by the police.
This directive was issued during a hearing on December 18, where Gupta, along with the zonal director of the NCB, appeared before the court.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice MS Ramchandra Rao and Justice Deepak Roshan was addressing a petition concerning the widespread sale of narcotics and drugs in the state. The court noted that proper sampling of seized drugs was not being conducted at the time of seizure or during investigations.
This procedural lapse, the court observed, significantly weakened the prosecution’s case during trials, often leading to the release of accused individuals.
The court specifically pointed to a case in Baharagora, East Singhbhum, where a vehicle was found carrying 80 to 90 kgs of marijuana. Due to improper sampling, the accused were granted bail by the high court. This incident prompted the court to take action, calling for the creation of a foolproof procedure to prevent such lapses in the future.
The court emphasized that the DGP, in coordination with the NCB and state authorities, must ensure that the SOP addresses all potential shortcomings in the handling and sampling of narcotic substances.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for January 20, 2025, to review the progress in this matter.
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