After Shah rap, Punjab empowers senior cops to order preventive detention under PIT-NDPS Act

Chandigarh: The Punjab govt has empowered senior police officers to exercise preventive detention powers under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act, 1988, a move that came a day after Union home minister Amit Shah criticised the state for recording zero detentions under the stringent law.On Oct 20, Shah, who was in Punjab to meet families affected by drug abuse, targeted the AAP-led state govt over its handling of the drug menace. Addressing a press conference in Ludhiana, he said Punjab was the only state that had reported “zero” detentions under the PIT-NDPS Act.“Can they answer how many drug smugglers have been detained under PIT-NDPS? They won’t. Let me answer: Zero. They should tell the people of Punjab why this number is zero,” Shah said.He criticised the state govt for not invoking the preventive-detention provisions available under the anti-drug law.A notification issued by the Punjab home affairs department on Oct 21 authorises commissioners of police of the rank of inspector general (IG) and above, within their respective jurisdictions, and IG-rank officers heading police ranges to exercise powers under Section 3(1) of the Act.The govt has also specially empowered six other senior officers to exercise these powers in commissionerates, police ranges and headquarters units where no IG-rank officer is posted. Their jurisdictions will be allocated administratively by the DGP.None of the state’s three police commissionerates, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ludhiana, is currently headed by an IG-rank officer, with DIG-rank officers serving as commissioners of police in all three cities. Similarly, only two of the eight police ranges are headed by IG-rank officers, including one where an IG officer holds additional charge. The remaining six ranges are headed by DIG-rank officers.The six officers named in the notification are special DGP (traffic) A S Rai, ADGP Gautam Cheema, ADGP (internal security) Shive Verma, ADGP (security) Kaustubh Sharma, ADGP (internal vigilance cell) Naunihal Singh and IG (provisioning) S Boopathi.The PIT-NDPS Act provides for preventive detention of individuals to prevent illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Such detention is distinct from arrest and prosecution under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Chandigarh | Silver Rate in Chandigarh | Bank Holidays in Chandigarh | Public Holidays in Chandigarh | Chandigarh AQI | Weather in Chandigarh | Petrol Price in Chandigarh | Diesel Price in Chandigarh | CNG Price in Chandigarh | LPG Price in ChandigarhStay updated with the latest Chandigarh news. Download the TOI App.