Probe role of pharma firms in synthetic drug abuse: HC to CBI

Alarmed over seizure of synthetic drugs in two states, the Punjab and Haryana high court has roped in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the role of drugs manufacturer companies in two states, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, among other states.
“…we have our reservation regarding the performances of the NCB authorities with regard to such regulation of drug manufacturing because we have been noticing in various cases which have come to the high court that huge quantity of drugs are being recovered which are in the form of tablets, syringes and vials, which are manufactured by various drug manufacturing companies situated in and around the areas of State of Haryana as well as Punjab,” the bench of justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and justice Sanjay Vashisth observed while reacting to submissions by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), which had listed out various steps being undertaken by the agency in coordination with the state governments to fight synthetics drugs menace.
The court order came during resumed hearing of a plea in a drugs case of November 2020 in which in 2021, the court had handed over probe into an alleged drugs seizure case, with allegations against a pharma company, to the CBI. The CBI has completed investigation in the case. The court while seeking fresh reports from the CBI and the NCB in September, had recorded that in cases relating to the NDPS, most of the drugs are those which are found in vials but in the form of medicines. These are manufactured by various pharmaceutical firms and are being released in the market in a clandestine manner. However, no steps are found to have been taken by the CBI or NCB, the court had observed in September.
In the latest affidavit, the NCB had listed out steps taken by it and also given details of drugs seizure which was in thousands of tablets. In Malout, seizure was of 33,000 Tramadol tablets in March 2020, in Panchkula and Ferozepur, the seizure was of 56,000 tablets of Clovidol (Tramadol) in June 2020. In Amritsar in two different cases in May 2021, the seizure was of 27,000 tablets and 14,000 tablets and in April 2022, 10,000 tablets were seized in Amritsar.
CBI’s counsel Deepak Sabherwal had told the court that the CBI can open a
preliminary inquiry into the role of pharma companies and would conduct independent investigation, if the court directs. Assistance from the office of the NCB cell, Haryana, as well as from the NCB cell, Punjab, shall be taken for the necessary feedback and assistance and the CBI would submit a report to the court, Sabherwal had submitted.
Considering that these manufacturing companies are situated in various states, the court directed the CBI to form an investigating team of responsible officers, having “high integrity” and allowed it to include officers from the NCB, for specific feedback. It also said that officers from state police could also be included. However, it made it clear that control on all the officers would remain with the CBI and it would conduct the investigation as per its own method and submit a report.
The court clarified that to complete the probe, the CBI would be entitled to conduct search and seizure as well as to make appropriate arrests. “It is also made clear that appropriate manpower and logistics would be provided by the DGPs concerned of both the states for the said purpose as well as by the UT DGP. The CBI would be also free to take assistance from the police officials concerned of the neighbouring states for the purpose of effective investigation,” it said, seeking a preliminary report within two months. The matter stands adjourned for February 13.