Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. | Photo credit: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA
The Supreme Court on Friday (May 8, 2026) criticized the Punjab government and authorities for their failure to curb the drug problem in the state, saying the human toll was alarming.
Chief Justice Surya Kant, who headed a bench comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi, said that drug abuse and drug trafficking continued in large numbers as only small-time peddlers were caught, while no one dared lay a hand on the big fish running the racket.
The Chief Justice narrated a recent incident of a mother who lost all her five sons to drug addiction. “She lost her fifth son to drugs. The police must be sensitized,” the CJI said.
The court said with events taking a turn for the worse, the Center may have to intervene to address the menace in the state.
The court said that both the central and state authorities must pool their resources to find a solution to the problem that is eroding society itself.
“The bigger sharks or the influential should be arrested,” Chief Justice Kant said.
The Bench highlighted the huge dependency in cases of accused under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and stressed the need to have exclusive courts.
Published – 08 May 2026 22:40 IST
