Controlling drug menace good, but proper inquiry needed: FGG

Hyderabad: Appreciating the government efforts to control drug menace in the State, the Forum for Good Governance (FGG) on Friday said while the Anti-Narcotic Bureau was doing a good job in booking cases, proper inquiry was not being conducted or accused punished.

The FGG in a release appreciated the government efforts and said an awareness campaign was also taken up to desist youth from drug consumption. Once the cases are registered a proper inquiry should be conducted and accused punished, but this was not happening.

Giving an example, FGG secretary M Padmanabha Reddy said in 2017 in the Excise stations of Medchal district drug-peddling cases were registered. The matter was widely covered in the media. In view of the gravity of the matter a SIT was constituted for a detailed inquiry. Based on information provided by drug peddlers, the SIT interrogated 62 persons mostly connected with the film industry; 12 cases were booked and charge-sheets filed in court. After seven years of trial most cases ended in acquittal. The judgment says, "the court is of the considered view that the prosecution miserably failed to establish the guilt of the accused for the charged offence beyond all reasonable doubt, consequent there to, the accused are entitled for an acquittal."

Keeping in view the fate of cases booked earlier, people have doubts about the logical conclusion of cases now being booked. The cases should be inquired into properly, cases filed and disposed of in two years. time. FGG requested CM A Revanth Reddy to strengthen the prosecution wing so that the accused get deterrent punishment.