Chandigarh, Oct 21: State police authorities in Punjab have approached central institutions requesting amendments to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940 to strengthen regulatory measures against the illegal distribution of pharmaceutical drugs.
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav affirmed during Police Commemoration Day observances that law enforcement agencies require expanded statutory powers to handle pharmaceutical cases, which currently fall under the primary jurisdiction of Drug Inspectors. The department asserted that urgent intervention is necessary to address the entry of habit-forming medicines from neighboring territories, particularly within the southern Malwa belt.
Police leadership maintained that certain habit-forming formulations should be incorporated into the schedule of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Regional authorities declared that the issue has been raised with central authorities and coordinated alongside police chiefs from adjoining states, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana, to present a unified strategy to federal Ministries.
The initiative follows recent security developments, including the investigation into the fatal attack on anti-drug campaigner Parvinder Jhota in Mansa. Law enforcement representatives affirmed that swift action was taken through immediate FIR registration and subsequent arrests, before the matter was transitioned to central investigative agencies in accordance with family requests and state directives.
