Bengaluru: There was a significant increase in the number of cases related to pending trial drugs for the past three years in Karnataka.
In 2019, there were 1,235 cases under trials in different courts.
That number rose to 2,844 in 2020 and touched 2,575 in October this year.
Also, cases ordered under drug narcotics laws and psychotropic substances (NDPS) also increased, showing the state police records.
In 2019, the police had ordered 1,658 cases and reached 4,052 in 2020.
This year, until October, 4,565 cases were booked against drug vendors.
While 378 was accused of being convicted of charges of selling drugs in 2019, it was 817 in 2020 and 471 until October this year.
Special public prosecutor P Prasanna Kumar said more trials handling NDPS cases had to be established in the state.
“We only have one court for cases such as Bengaluru and there are more than 1,000 chargesheets filed by the police and are waiting for the trial.
Also, the same court is appointed to deal with civil problems, making it difficult to dedicate time for NDPS cases .
It is time for the court more, is dedicated to handling cases of NDPS, was established.
There was also a delay in getting the report of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in drugs seized, “he said.
Advocate Srinivasa Rao said the Supreme Court pondered whether the police investigation was completed without the FSL report or not and would immediately say the verdict.
“In most cases awaiting scientific analysis reports, Chargesheet is placed before the trial court for statistical purposes.
When the court can only continue based on the material of the billing, which includes the FSL report, these are issued without progress,” he said and remember how the High Court recently recently This observed that there was an urgent need for a dedicated government laboratory to test drugs.
“However, the Special Prosecutor will try to persuade the House Department to provide field test equipment to all police stations in Karnataka, if it has not been provided.
He will also convince the government about the need to establish a separate forensic science laboratory to test articles confiscated by law NDPS.
The registry is directed to send a copy of this order to the Secretary of the Chief and Secretary of the Additional Head, the House Department, Vidhana Soudha, “The High Court was observed in a case where Rao appeared on behalf of the defendant.
An IPS senior officer said before it took a year for FSL staff to check and submit reports on samples sent to them in drug cases such as narcotics and biological samples such as urine and blood.
However, with the increasing number of staff and preparing special narcotics parts in five regional forensic science laboratories, the gendency time has dropped to five months.
Six FSL Unitskarnataka has six FSL units with major units in the city and regional areas in MySuru, Mangaluru, Davanagere, Beleagavi and Kalaburagi.
About 220 staff worked in these units and Bengaluru had around 120 staff.
“On average, between 100 and 120 drug samples tested per month in all six units.
The Narcotics Department in each unit has special staff to examine drugs and submit reports,” he said, most of the samples sent to the FSL were from marijuana .
“Other narcotics such as synthetic drugs form small portions and be examined in the Bengaluru FSL,” he said.