Kerala High Court Orders State to Establish Exclusive NDPS Courts in Five Districts

The Kerala High Court ordered the State government to create separate courts dedicated to matters under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 in five districts, in view of the increasing pendency of narcotics cases.

The case arose out of suo motu proceedings and connected petitions, pointing to delays in the disposal of NDPS cases caused by a lack of infrastructure and a shortage of staff.

The Court said that limiting such courts to only Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam, as proposed by the State, was inadequate, and directed that similar courts must also be established in Palakkad, Thrissur, and Manjeri.

The Court further directed the State to place compliance reports within 3 weeks.

[Suo Motu Proceedings Initiated by the High Court of Kerala v. State of Kerala & Ors.]