In a gripping legal battle that exposes the darker underbelly of cross-border crimes, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has taken a firm stand against the delivery of contraband and arms through clandestine drone networks from across the Pakistan border. The court resolutely turned down the anticipatory bail plea of an accused, highlighting the urgent need for his custodial interrogation to unearth the truth behind the nefarious operations.
The case revolves around a woman who appears to have connections with an international drugs mafia. With a string of previous cases under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act, she finds herself entangled in the murky world of drug trafficking. Justice Manjari Nehru Kaul, presiding over the case, did not mince her words when she firmly asserted, “Prima facie, the petitioner, who admittedly has been involved in a number of cases under the NDPS Act, appears to be a part of a drug mafia.”
The petitioner’s plea sought reprieve in a case registered on November 15, 2022, under the NDPS Act. Justice Jasgurpreet Singh Puri, adjudicating the matter, was presented with an intriguing petition filed by Binder Singh against the state of Punjab, seeking anticipatory bail in an FIR registered on June 3 in Jalalabad under the provisions of the NDPS Act.
The petitioner’s counsel vehemently contended that their client’s name merely figured in the FIR, and there was no direct connection to the co-accused involved in the alleged drug recovery. Labeling it a clear case of false implication, the counsel maintained that no recovery of illicit substances was made from the petitioner.
Contrary to this argument, Punjab Deputy Advocate-General Sarabjit Singh Cheema painted a grim picture of a cross-border heroin smuggling operation involving the petitioner and the co-accused. Shockingly, over 9 kg of heroin was smuggled into the country through a drone from Pakistan, and both suspects were implicated in the sinister plot.
Justice Puri, in a compelling decision, emphasized that the petitioner’s name was explicitly mentioned in the FIR, despite the absence of a direct recovery of drugs from her possession. The state counsel’s revelation about a substantial heroin recovery from the co-accused, along with the disclosure of the petitioner’s involvement, carried considerable weight in the court’s eyes.
“The arguments raised by the state counsel that the matter being not only serious but also sensitive, wherein a huge quantity of heroin has been recovered from a place delivered through a drone from Pakistan, and the custodial interrogation of the petitioner is required for the purpose of further elicitation of truth, thus, carry weight and cannot be ignored,” Justice Puri asserted.
Considering the gravity and magnitude of the offense, Justice Puri unequivocally ruled that the petitioner did not deserve the concession of anticipatory bail. The case unraveled a dark nexus of international drug smuggling that demands thorough investigation and stringent action to ensure justice prevails.
As the legal battle continues, this gripping case sheds light on the perilous world of cross-border crime and the vigilant efforts of the judiciary to safeguard society from the clutches of drug cartels and their illicit networks. The Punjab and Haryana High Court’s resolute stance stands as a beacon of hope in the fight against the shadows that threaten our nation’s security and well-being.
