Srinagar, Dec 31: The High Court of J&K and Ladakh dismissed a plea which had sought to quash the detention against an alleged drug peddler from Udhampur under Public Safety Act(PSA).
“The present case relates to the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs along with other criminal activities. The menace of drugs is a serious threat to public health, safety and well-being of citizens at large,” a bench of Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal said while dismissing plea filed by one Akash Kharka who according to the detaining authority remained a “threat to larger public interest despite the registration of the FIRs under IPC/RPC, NDPS Act, coupled with the fact that he had been arrested.” Even globally, the court said, the society is facing detrimental consequences of trafficking of drugs/drug abuse because it undermines the socio-economic and political stability of a nation. “Besides that, it also distorts the public order and the fabric of society as it is considered to be the originator for petty offences as well as heinous crimes such as smuggling of arms, ammunition and money laundering,” it added.
Underscoring that the drug trafficking leads to a constant threat to national security and sovereignty of the State by way of “narco-terrorism, the Court said: “Drug trafficking along with drug abuse, especially by younger generation, has continued to take a significant toll on valuable human lives and productive years of people around the globe.
With the growth and development of the world economy, the court said, the drug traffickers are seamlessly trafficking various types of drugs from one corner to another, ensuring the availability of the contraband for vulnerable segments of the society, who fall into the trap of drug peddlers and traffickers.
India, the court said, is facing serious menace of drug trafficking and as a spill-over effect, drug abuse especially amongst the youth. “This is a grave concern for all the stakeholders of the nation.”
Referring to Kharka’s detention, the court said that the grounds of detention reveal that he had an inclination towards criminality, which ultimately resulted in him becoming a notorious trafficker of narcotic drugs.