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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a PIL seeking decriminalisation of drug consumption under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, saying it was a policy matter to be decided by the government.
The PIL filed by Jai Krishna Singh brought to court’s notice that the law was made to punish people involved in drug trafficking but drug consumers are punished in more than 90% of cases. He also pleaded that drug consumption has been decriminalised in many other countries as the main purpose of the law is to bring the misguided youth to the national mainstream.
Making a fervent appeal before a bench of Chief Justice UU Lalit and Justice Ravindra Bhat, the petitioner pleaded the court to examine the issue. He said that drug consumption has become a social stigma and the sufferers did not prefer to seek help from family. He informed the bench that 90% of NDPS cases in Maharashtra are against drug consumers, that is 13,000 out of 14,000 cases. He said that law also does not define consumption nor does it prescribe any procedure for determining what constitutes ‘consumption’.
He submitted the allowable consumption amount should be reduced but the bench said that the drug peddlers would start selling the drug in that amount and such an approach was not feasible.
Maharashtra saw an average of 1,766 NDPS cases per year between 2010 and 2013 under the NDPS Act.. From 2013 to 2014, it jumped more than five times to 14,622.
The PIL filed by Jai Krishna Singh brought to court’s notice that the law was made to punish people involved in drug trafficking but drug consumers are punished in more than 90% of cases. He also pleaded that drug consumption has been decriminalised in many other countries as the main purpose of the law is to bring the misguided youth to the national mainstream.
Making a fervent appeal before a bench of Chief Justice UU Lalit and Justice Ravindra Bhat, the petitioner pleaded the court to examine the issue. He said that drug consumption has become a social stigma and the sufferers did not prefer to seek help from family. He informed the bench that 90% of NDPS cases in Maharashtra are against drug consumers, that is 13,000 out of 14,000 cases. He said that law also does not define consumption nor does it prescribe any procedure for determining what constitutes ‘consumption’.
He submitted the allowable consumption amount should be reduced but the bench said that the drug peddlers would start selling the drug in that amount and such an approach was not feasible.
Maharashtra saw an average of 1,766 NDPS cases per year between 2010 and 2013 under the NDPS Act.. From 2013 to 2014, it jumped more than five times to 14,622.
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