The court ordered the officials to form the panel with "officers of integrity" (File)
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday directed the Tamil Nadu government to constitute a high-level secret committee to monitor those police officials who are "suspected to be hand in glove with drug offenders". The court was hearing a public interest litigation that complained about increasing drug addiction in Tamil Nadu's Othakadai area.
Passing the order on the drug menace, the court directed the Chief Secretary (CS), Director-General of Police (DGP) and others to form the panel with "officers of integrity".
The PIL was filed by a resident of Madurai who moved the court to direct the police to set up a police outpost with adequate manpower at specific locations in the Othakadai area. The petition sought direction to the police to take action against drunken driving and prevent the transportation of psychotropic substances.
The petitioner also wants the police to install CCTV cameras and constitute a special wing to take appropriate action against persons involved in the selling and transporting of narcotic substances. Citing his personal experience of the drug-related nuisance, the petitioner said many people are unwilling to come forward to file written complaints to the police due to inaction by the enforcement agency.
The police, however, listed several measures undertaken by them including deployment of an adequate number of CCTVs, breathalysers, and night patrolling and have also raised awareness by the formation of 18,000 anti-drug clubs in educational institutions. The cops also gave a list of arrests made and properties of drug offenders frozen by them.
The court, however, said, "If the police officials are more vigilant and take effective steps, the free movement of the drugs is impossible"
This order came a day after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized 1.8 kilograms of cocaine and 1.4 kilograms of MDMA worth Rs 22 crore. The agency also arrested five people, including four foreign nationals.
Recently, the NCB had arrested Jaffer Sadiq, an alleged kingpin who police suspect had smuggled drugs worth Rs 2,000 crore to foreign countries. The ruling DMK had expelled him and distanced itself from him.