MHA Directs States to Set Up Exclusive NDPS Courts for 3.96 Lakh Cases

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed all states and Union Territories to establish exclusive courts for narcotics-related cases. The directive aims to clear a massive backlog of approximately 3.96 lakh pending cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act across India.

The MHA was informed in a meeting that 22 states are yet to set up special NDPS courts. Only 65 such courts are currently functioning across India to deal with matters relating to the NDPS Act exclusively, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) informed. Over the past six months, the MHA has held multiple meetings with state chief secretaries and home secretaries to address this shortfall, according to the Indian Express.

The Supreme Court has expressed serious concern regarding delays in narcotics trials. Officials noted that organised crime cases often involve multiple accused, witnesses and legal counsel. This leads to lengthy examinations and cross-examinations, heavily slowing the judicial process.

Severe State Pendency Crisis

State-level data reveals massive case backlogs across the country. Punjab has about 60,000 pending NDPS cases but operates zero exclusive special courts. The MHA suggested establishing five special courts in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Sangrur.

Kerala has about 50,000 pending cases and operates only two special courts, against an MHA-recommended requirement of nine. Odisha currently has 17,000 pending cases. State officials informed the MHA that they plan to set up eight special courts this year and an additional seven during 2027-28, as per an Indian Express report.

Tamil Nadu has 15,000 pending cases and five existing courts, with six more proposed. Karnataka holds 15,000 pending cases and operates three courts. The MHA advised Karnataka to set up more facilities. Madhya Pradesh has 14,000 pending cases and zero special courts. The MHA asked the state to urgently establish six NDPS courts in Indore, Bhopal, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Rewa and Singrauli.

West Bengal holds about 11,000 pending cases without a single exclusive court for narcotics matters. The MHA suggested setting up six special courts in Kolkata, Howrah, East Bardhaman, Barasat and Berhampore.

Himachal Pradesh holds around 11,000 pending cases with zero special courts. State officials said a proposal for five special courts is currently pending high court approval. The MHA asked them to send the proposal to the high court again.

National Strategy and Growth

The MHA and NCB will organise meetings with high court registrars to expedite court setups. The focus will be on states where large numbers of NDPS cases remain pending. All states and Union Territories must submit status reports to the MHA outlining their compliance with Supreme Court directions.

Setting up special NDPS courts is part of a three-year Union government strategy to strengthen the fight against drug-trafficking. Officials suggested implementing pre-trial conferences to streamline cases. Trial courts could use these to fix strict timelines, modelled on constitutional proceedings before the Supreme Court.

Narcotics cases have surged significantly. Between 2004 and 2014, India recorded 1,73,000 narco cases and 1,95,000 arrests. From 2014 to 2026, registered cases climbed to 8,75,000 and 10,97,000 individuals were arrested, according to the Indian Express.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said at the 10th apex-level meeting of the Narco-Coordination Centre in June, "We are geographically situated between the Death Triangle and the Death Crescent. Drug-traffickers have made our fight even more challenging by adopting advanced methods. Along with drug-trafficking, organised crime, narco-terror financing and the funding of cross-border terrorist networks, this problem has also evolved into an evolving narco-terrorism ecosystem. For the internal security of our country, the protection of our economy, and the future of our youth generation, we must achieve complete victory over this menace."