The Supreme Court emphasized that individuals involved in drug trafficking and narcotics-related activities must be dealt with firmly, observing that drug offenders are repeatedly destroying the lives of the country’s youth across generations and posing a serious threat to society and public welfare.
The Supreme Court said that individuals involved in drug-related activity must be handled with “a very firm hand,” adding that such offenders are damaging the lives of the youth in the country repeatedly across generations.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sheel Nagu, and V. Mohana dismissed the bail plea of an accused who was arrested in June 2022 in a case registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
While rejecting the application, Justice Vikram Nath remarked:
“People dealing with drugs will have to be dealt with a very firm hand. They are destroying the lives of youths of this country generation after generation,”
The accused approached the apex court against an order passed in February 2026 by the Madras High Court, which had refused to grant bail. The Madras High Court noted that the applicant had filed six successive bail applications in the matter.
According to the prosecution, on June 11, 2022, the petitioner and two other persons were reportedly standing with a bag. On noticing the police, they allegedly attempted to flee.
The prosecution further alleged that 21 MDMA (ecstasy) tablets, weighing approximately 10.15 grams, were recovered from the bag. It was stated that, based on the confession of the petitioner and another accused, the third person who allegedly ran away was also arrested.
Before the High Court, the petitioner’s counsel contended that the contraband seized on June 11, 2022 was produced before the special court in Chennai only on July 5, 2022, and until then, the police kept the material in their custody without obtaining approval from the trial court.
The counsel also argued that although the High Court in November 2024 had directed the trial court to complete the trial within six months, the trial was still not concluded. The petitioner also pointed out that co-accused had already been granted bail.
The state, through its counsel, argued that three accused were involved and that the quantity of MDMA 10.15 grams falls under the commercial quantity category.
Ultimately, the Madras High Court dismissed the bail plea.