Mumbai: 43 Lawyers Seek More NDPS Courts As 4,747 Cases Remain Pending

Mumbai, August 20, 2026: Concerned over a backlog of around 4,747 cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, including one dating back to 1989, 43 lawyers have written to the Bombay High Court seeking an increase in the number of special courts hearing drug trafficking and consumption cases.

Lawyers Seek More Special Courts

Earlier this month, the lawyers submitted a letter to HC guardian judges Justice MS Karnik and Justice Neela Gokhale, seeking an increase in the number of special courts from four to eight.

The lawyers said there are currently four special NDPS courts, of which one has remained vacant for the past two months. Around 4,747 cases are pending before these courts, while trials are under way in only 509.

Heavy Caseload Slows Trials

According to the letter, the courts are able to conclude no more than two cases a month because they must handle the heavy pendency and custody matters along with bail pleas, remand applications and other miscellaneous applications. Around 60 cases are listed before each court every day.

Adding to the burden, an average of 15 to 16 new cases are registered every week by agencies including the Narcotics Control Bureau, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, customs, Anti Narcotics Cell of the Mumbai Police and local police stations.

Long Custody And Delays

The lawyers said that in several cases, accused persons remain in custody for more than three years before their trials begin, with many of them being women. Trials can also be lengthy because the list of witnesses often ranges from 15 to 40, while some cases have more than 100 cited witnesses.

A senior public prosecutor representing special agencies, speaking on condition of anonymity, said cases involving accused persons who are on bail get delayed because cases involving those in custody are given priority. In several instances, accused persons also abscond by the time their cases reach the trial stage, causing further delays.

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“This delay further collapses the judiciary system as it is difficult to trace witnesses, evidences, besides, the record also gets misplaced and seized contraband with passage of time loses its veracity. All this also results in agencies losing their case before the court,” the prosecutor said, stressing the need for more courts and better infrastructure.

Noted criminal lawyer Ayaz Khan, who has also one of the signatory to the letter said that, the judges presently are trying their best to dispose of the cases but with the huge quantum of the cases, they also cannot focus on trials. “With the huge work load the trial in the cases take a back stage, causing further delay. The judges cannot focus on quality as they have so many applications to decide which are time bound,” Khan said.

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