The drug trade can only be combated if the investigative agency is diligent, the court said. (File)
Calcutta:
Observing that the threat of the drug trade is rapidly increasing in West Bengal, the High Court in Calcutta has said it can only be tackled if the investigative agency is diligent and serious in taking appropriate action against the bigger actors.
Hitting state police for failing to properly investigate cases following arrests of drug smugglers to uncover pillars of drug trafficking, a division bench comprising Justices Sanjib Banerjee and Aniruddha Roy observed that he seems like gaps are deliberately left for larger fish to slide off. outside.
The bench on Friday ordered that a copy of the order in the present case of an accused’s request for bail be forwarded to the Chief Secretary of West Bengal and another to the Director General of Police of the State for appropriate action to be taken.
The division bench observed that it is alarming that some cases are presented by the investigative agency in such a way that the court has no choice but to grant bail.
Unfortunately, for reasons that are not difficult to understand, the investigative agency is taking no action to unearth information against the bigger players, the division bench said.
“In the present case, there is no independent evidence against the current petitioner, although it is more than likely that the current petitioner could be the kingpin of the racketeering”, observed the bench, adding that the courts will not however, cannot be convinced and concrete facts and elements are necessary even to form a prima facie case.
The court said that with regard to the current petitioner Hiten Roy, since there is no independent evidence against him other than the alleged statement of a person arrested after being found in possession of drugs, the petitioner is entitled to a deposit.
The Applicant was ordered to be released on bail after providing a bond of Rs 50,000 together with two bonds of the same amount, one of which must be local, to the satisfaction of the relevant Cooch Behar District Court.
The petitioner will not leave the Cooch Behar district without the prior permission of the trial court, the division bench said, adding that Roy will attend on any date set for the trial and any unexplained absence will empower the trial court. to cancel the deposit.
Hiten Roy, aka Hiru, was arrested by Dinahata Police in Cooch Behar District in January and charged under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) and the Weapons Act.
