NE LEGAL BUREAU
CHENNAI, JULY 28
The Madras High Court has granted two more weeks to the Tamil Nadu government to file a report explaining the steps taken to eradicate drug peddling in the state on Tuesday.
A division bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice V M Velumani passed the interim order after Additional Public Prosecutor Prathap Kumar, representing the Tamil Nadu DGP, sought more time to file the report as sought by the court in its previous hearing.
Kumar claimed there were some practical difficulties in obtaining required information due to the COVID-19 situation. Recording the submissions, the court granted two more weeks to file the report.
The bench while hearing the matter observed that there was “a clear collusion” between the police and drug peddlers across the country. Hearing a habeas corpus plea moved against detention of a drug peddler under the Goondas Act, the bench had on July 16 directed the Central and the state governments to file a detailed report explaining the steps taken to eradicate drug peddling in the country.
The court had then observed that drug abuse that has already engulfed Punjab should not be permitted to spread to other states of the country, including Tamil Nadu.
It had then directed the governments to explain as to whether youngsters are involved in such peddling due to unemployment and as to whether such money is used for anti- national and terror activities.
