Continuing with their crackdown on ganja peddlers, police in Tamil Nadu’s southern districts have begun to open history-sheets against them, and also bind them over through courts of law, under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
Inspector General of Police (South Zone), Asra Garg, said that history-sheets have been opened against 624 accused involved in ganja peddling. “So far, the police have been opening history sheets only against habitual offenders involved in rowdysim and murder or crime cases involving thefts and robbery,” he said. But with drug peddlers posing serious risks to society, the police have decided to open history-sheets against them too. “Drug peddlers can ruin the lives of hundreds of people by selling narcotic substances,” Mr. Garg said.
Over the past few days, the police in southern districts have started to open these history-sheets both against ganja smugglers and sellers too.
“Once the local police open a history-sheet against an accused, the beat police can visit him any time. Besides, they can periodically review his activities. Frequent visits of the police can bring pressure on the accused to keep away from his illegal activities,” Mr. Garg said.
Binding over in courts of law
Besides, for the first time, the police in this region have also been binding over those convicted for ganja smuggling through the courts of law, making use of the provisions of the NDPS Act. “As per Section 34 of the NDPS Act, the courts can make the convicts issue bonds promising good conduct for a period of up to three years. Hitherto, the police were getting the bonds through Executive Magistrates,” the IG said. The bonds issued by the courts, he said, would act as better deterrents on habitual offenders. Those who violate the bond conditions will have to face jail terms for the remaining period of the bond.
Over the the last few days, the police in south zone have got 54 convicts bound over through the courts.
The police have also initiated financial investigations in 13 ganja smuggling cases, and as many as 1,956 bank accounts of accused persons and their close relatives were frozen in 2022. Besides, their movable and immovable assets, worth ₹12.5 crore, were also seized.
Last year, the police had bound over 1,377 drug peddlers through executive magistrates and 58 of them were then held for violating their bond conditions, Mr. Garg said
