Drug menace: Form monitoring panel with CBI, NCB, Police officers on board, says Madras HC

CHENNAI: Taking a serious note of the drug menace that seems to have caught Tamil Nadu in its grip, the Madras High Court directed the Union and State governments to submit a list of officers from CBI, NCB, and State Home Department from which it would pick officers to be made part of a special monitoring committee that has been formed to curb the menace in the State.

A division bench of Justice D Krishnakumar and Justice PB Balaji also directed authorities to ensure that except stationary, medical, and snacks shops, there were no shops within 100 metres of educational institutions.

Appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, Additional Advocate General (AAG) J Ravindran submitted an affidavit on behalf of the head of State police force, stating that a high-level special wing has been formed at the headquarters to curb the narcotics menace in Tamil Nadu. It is led by an officer in the rank of Additional Director General of Police, and has two IGs and three SPs on board.

After perusing the affidavit, the bench suggested deputing officers in the rank of IG for each zone and directed the State government to submit further instructions in this regard.

The bench also ordered the formation of special monitoring committee to oversee the action taken to prevent drug peddling. The committee should submit recommendations to the government on measures to be taken to strengthen the action to curb drug menace, it said.

The special monitoring committee should comprise officers from CBI, NCB, and State Home Department, said the bench. It directed the Union and State governments to name the officers to be appointed in the committee and submit it before the court in a sealed cover.

The bench directed the government to ensure that there were no shops within 100 meters zone from any educational institution, except those selling stationary, medicines, and snacks with consent from school management.

The bench also invited suggestions from the State to list out the shops permissible within the education institution zone. The government should to ensure that helpline numbers are published on the display board and complaint boxes are available in each school and college to report about drug peddling.

Taluk and district level legal services authority should hold periodic meetings with the school and college managements in this regard, added the bench.