Herb Fellow
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Nagpur - In a possible indication of slackening of action in drug-related cases, there has been a considerable decline in the number of cases registered under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in the city.
As against 74 cases recorded under the NDPS Act in 2006, only 54 were registered in 2007. The number of cases registered in the year gone by is the least in the last three years as 56 cases were registered in the year 2005.
Sources say that a combination of manpower problem at crime branch's NDPS cell, which deals with drug-related cases, and overburdened police stations has resulted in a 'lack of attention' towards these cases. Opined assistant commissioner of police Anil Bobade: "Heavy engagements in regular duties like bandobast and anti-crime action along with maintaining of law and order situation are some reasons for less cases under NDPS act registered with the help of the local police station teams."
According to senior officers from city police, the apathy of the staffers from local police stations in conducting operations against peddlers also comes from the lengthy and complex procedure involving in preparing the documents. "Error of margin is almost nil, especially in terms of weights which has to be accurate to the minimum milligrams, in NDPS cases. We have to also ensure that the witnesses do not turn hostile,' said senior police inspector Arun Tembhre of NDPS cell. "Though we have less manpower but we keep on following the leads to reach the offenders every time there is a tip-off," said the senior police inspector.
The NDPS cell's action ensured registering 39 of the 54 cases in 2007, while teams from 20 police stations in the city could muster no more than 15 cases in the span of the same one year. In the year 2006, local police stations had contributed in getting at least 39 cases registered under NDPS acts. The effort of the local police stations had even surpassed the effort of the special NDPS cell of crime branch in the year 2006, which registered 35 cases that year.
In 2006, around 98 persons were charged by the city police under the NDPS Act but the number was 62 in 2007. Following the slack in the action, the seizure of the contraband substances made by the city police also dropped considerably. Against the total seizure of around 549.29 kg of contraband substances worth around Rs 28.51 lakh made by city police in 2006, cops could only confiscate around 133.84 kg of contraband costing Rs 19.05 lakh.
Apart from the case of Ganapat Karne, where the special team of crime branch had seized around 12 kg of charas worth around Rs 20 lakh in the international market, city police could not lay their hands on any other 'big fish' in the racket last year. On the contrary, rural police conducted a number of successful operations in their jurisdiction last year which also included a massive haul of 3,500 kg of marijuana (ganja), worth around Rs 1 crore. The contraband was being transported to the northern India from Andhra Pradesh through Nagpur.
"Recently we have conducted a workshop at police gymkhana on the various aspects of NDPS acts, especially related to technical and legal aspects," said Bhushan K Upadhyay, additional commissioner of police (crime). "Apart from technical and legalities in the cases, the experts also discussed in detail the techniques of identification and sampling. We had also invited police stations to send their staffers to attend the workshop in order to also make them aware and motivate them," added Upadhyay.
Source: The Times Of India
Copyright: 2008, The Times Of India
Contact: Soumittra S Bose
Website: Are cops slackening in drug cases? - Nagpur - City - The Times of India
As against 74 cases recorded under the NDPS Act in 2006, only 54 were registered in 2007. The number of cases registered in the year gone by is the least in the last three years as 56 cases were registered in the year 2005.
Sources say that a combination of manpower problem at crime branch's NDPS cell, which deals with drug-related cases, and overburdened police stations has resulted in a 'lack of attention' towards these cases. Opined assistant commissioner of police Anil Bobade: "Heavy engagements in regular duties like bandobast and anti-crime action along with maintaining of law and order situation are some reasons for less cases under NDPS act registered with the help of the local police station teams."
According to senior officers from city police, the apathy of the staffers from local police stations in conducting operations against peddlers also comes from the lengthy and complex procedure involving in preparing the documents. "Error of margin is almost nil, especially in terms of weights which has to be accurate to the minimum milligrams, in NDPS cases. We have to also ensure that the witnesses do not turn hostile,' said senior police inspector Arun Tembhre of NDPS cell. "Though we have less manpower but we keep on following the leads to reach the offenders every time there is a tip-off," said the senior police inspector.
The NDPS cell's action ensured registering 39 of the 54 cases in 2007, while teams from 20 police stations in the city could muster no more than 15 cases in the span of the same one year. In the year 2006, local police stations had contributed in getting at least 39 cases registered under NDPS acts. The effort of the local police stations had even surpassed the effort of the special NDPS cell of crime branch in the year 2006, which registered 35 cases that year.
In 2006, around 98 persons were charged by the city police under the NDPS Act but the number was 62 in 2007. Following the slack in the action, the seizure of the contraband substances made by the city police also dropped considerably. Against the total seizure of around 549.29 kg of contraband substances worth around Rs 28.51 lakh made by city police in 2006, cops could only confiscate around 133.84 kg of contraband costing Rs 19.05 lakh.
Apart from the case of Ganapat Karne, where the special team of crime branch had seized around 12 kg of charas worth around Rs 20 lakh in the international market, city police could not lay their hands on any other 'big fish' in the racket last year. On the contrary, rural police conducted a number of successful operations in their jurisdiction last year which also included a massive haul of 3,500 kg of marijuana (ganja), worth around Rs 1 crore. The contraband was being transported to the northern India from Andhra Pradesh through Nagpur.
"Recently we have conducted a workshop at police gymkhana on the various aspects of NDPS acts, especially related to technical and legal aspects," said Bhushan K Upadhyay, additional commissioner of police (crime). "Apart from technical and legalities in the cases, the experts also discussed in detail the techniques of identification and sampling. We had also invited police stations to send their staffers to attend the workshop in order to also make them aware and motivate them," added Upadhyay.
Source: The Times Of India
Copyright: 2008, The Times Of India
Contact: Soumittra S Bose
Website: Are cops slackening in drug cases? - Nagpur - City - The Times of India
