Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Around 57% of accused arrested under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act are being acquitted due to poorly prepared chargesheets and lack of proper investigation, officials said.
This comes even as the police are running a 16-day statewide drug de-addiction campaign. In 2024 alone, of the 1,444 NDPS cases filed, only 536 resulted in conviction, while 686 smugglers were acquitted. Another 7 were discharged and 210 remained absconding.
Officials admit that untrained Investigation Officers (IOs) often fail to build strong, evidence-backed cases, which allows many smugglers to escape conviction.
In recent years, conviction rates under the NDPS Act have dropped:
2020: 110 convicted out of 222 cases (conviction Rate: 58.82%)
2021: 268 convicted in 924 cases (63.36%)
2022: 530 convicted in 1,013 cases (61.84%)
2023: 788 convicted in 1,651 cases (55.49%)
In 2024 so far, only 536 convictions have been recorded out of 1,444 cases, with 686 acquittals.
2020: 4,343
2021: 5,523
2022: 6,287
2023: 7,376
2024: 7,508
Early 2025: 7,893 cases pending
IOs to get modern training
To improve conviction rates, the Narcotics Wing of Police Headquarters (PHQ) has launched an initiative to train IOs. Officers will receive modern tech-based training to collect solid evidence, complete investigations fasterand prepare watertight chargesheets.
The training will involve experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), public prosecutors, cyber experts, and retired officers experienced in drug trafficking cases.
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Many smugglers escape punishment by exploiting legal and procedural loopholes. A concrete plan has been launched to fix this, and results will soon be visible
KP Venkateshwar Rao
ADG, Narcotics
