The Delhi High Court has requested the Centre’s position on a petition alleging the disappearance of 70,772.48 kg of heroin from seizure records between 2018 and 2020. Justice Subramonium Prasad issued a notice on a plea filed by B R Aravindakshan, instructing the Centre to submit its response within four weeks.
The petitioner, a journalist, has asserted a significant inconsistency between the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) data regarding drug seizures in the country from 2018 to 2020.
He (petitioner) states that cumulatively, 70,772.48 kg of heroin has disappeared from seizure records between 2018 and 2020. Issue notice. Let replies be filed within four weeks,” the court said in its order issued on Wednesday.
The petitioner has highlighted that “the alarming disappearance” of over 70,000 kg of heroin, valued at approximately Rs 5 lakh crore in the international market, raises concerns about national security, social stability, and economic repercussions.
The petition emphasizes that the scale of the “discrepancy” is so substantial that if not addressed promptly, it could lead to chaos in society, yet no action has been taken on the matter.
On 12.09.2022, the petitioner filed a complaint before the MHA regarding the mismatch of data provided by NCRB and the data provided by Hon’ble Nityanand Rai, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs, concerning the seizure of heroin during the years 2018 and 2020.
“The petitioner insisted that 70,772.54 kg heroin worth Rs 5 lakh crore seized in India has been missing, thus insisting the ministry that an immediate investigation should be ordered for the safety and welfare of the country,” the petition states.
The petitioner has requested several directives regarding the alleged mismatch, including an instruction to the MHA to initiate an investigation within a specified time frame.
The case is scheduled to be heard next on September 9.
