By Biswanath Dash
BHUBANESWAR: One successful year of destruction drive of pre-trial seized narcotics drugs. The drive was started last year after a landmark judgement of Honourable High court of Odisha on a petition filed by STF Odisha for directing the Sub-ordinate courts and issuing a SOP for early certification/ authentication of seized narcotics drugs. The judgement waspassed on 31.01.2022.
The first such drug disposal/ destruction took place on 10th June 2022. And within one year Odisha Police has destroyed record 220 Tons (2, 20,000 Kg) of seized Ganja (marijuana/cannabis) in 1434 cases and more than 78 Kg of brown sugar/ Heroin in 129 cases following very strict rules and regulations.
This is worth to mention that disposal/destruction of seized drugs is a complex legal and administrative process involving judiciary, police, forensic science laboratory, pollution, excise, revenue and central Government’s Chief controllers, govt. opium& Alkaloid departments.
Some of the major procedure/steps are narrated below-
➢ Seized contrabands are being disposed of as per the sub section (3) of section 52A of the NDPS Act 1985.
➢ For destruction of drugs, a committee is formed in each district/establishment under the chairmanship of Superintendent of Police. The Excise Superintendent, one Deputy Collector and one Deputy Superintendent of Police are members of the Drug Disposal Committee.
➢ On receipt of chemical examination report from the SFSL/RFSL, the IO moves to the concerned court for certification of correctness of inventory of seized contrabands.
➢ The court directs a judicial magistrate under his jurisdiction to make certification of correctness of the inventory of the seized contrabands.
➢ After certification, concerned courts pass necessary orders for disposal of drugs and handover the seized contraband to the (IO).
➢ The IO/IIC of the PS movesthe chairman of DDC for disposal of the seized contrabands.
➢ If the seized contrabands are beyond the limit (more than 10 Quintals) the chairman of DDC moves to the ADGP, Crime Branch to form a high-level Drug Disposal Committee under the chairmanship of one DIG for destruction of higher quantity.
➢ The DDC/ High Level DDC also move the chief controllers, govt. opium and Alkaloid, New Delhi to seek whether any quantity of seized contrabands is required for them.
➢ On receipt of clearance from Chief controller, the DDC/ High Level DDC ascertain the place of disposal as per the guideline provided by State Pollution Control Board.
➢ Thereafter it will fix a date for the disposal of seized contrabands and intimate the proposed date of disposal to the ADGP, Crime Branch.
➢ The DDC/HLDDC movesthe Director SFSL to depute a scientific officer having technical knowledge of NDPS for the purpose of Drug Disposal.
➢ The DDC/HLDDC moves to the place of disposal (incinerator) for disposal of the seized contrabands and destroy the seized contrabands in the incinerator.
➢ After destruction of the seized contrabands, the DDC/HLDDC prepares a destruction certificate as per the guidelines.
➢ After destruction is over the chairman of DDC/HLDDC informs in detail to the ADGP, Crime Branch and send a copy of destruction certificate to the concerned trial court under and round off the pendency from the godown / malkhana.
