Overview
- India’s Supreme Court, in a Friday hearing, said Punjab police chase small peddlers for publicity while powerful traffickers go untouched, citing a mother who lost five sons and flagging Ludhiana as a trade hub.
- The bench set a framework for exclusive courts under the NDPS Act, India’s narcotics law, with one court for 10–15 pending trials, two for 15–25, and three for more than 25.
- Chief justices of High Courts were asked to consult state governments within one month to secure space and begin establishing these special courts.
- The Union government said it would provide ₹2 crore toward infrastructure and recurring costs for the new courts.
- Chief Justice Surya Kant urged a statutory national mechanism so agencies can share leads across states, noting that drug syndicates operate as linked networks rather than in isolation.