The Kerala High Court has directed the State and Union governments to file their statements on the delay and pending issues in the establishment and implementation of exclusive courts for the trial of cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The court was informed by the District Judiciary that there were a total of 8,422 NDPS cases pending in the State. Ernakulam ranked first with 1,492 cases, followed by Thiruvananthapuram (1,245) and Palakkad (1,055). The Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice C. Jayachandran expressed concern over the undue delay by the State in establishing the special courts, despite several directions from January 2026.
The court orally questioned the State on why it was seeking additional time, noting that it had already been granted multiple extensions in the matter despite assuring the court that the NDPS courts would be operational by July 30. The court also warned that it would initiate contempt proceedings against the official responsible for delaying the process.
The court had earlier directed the State to establish fully equipped NDPS courts in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Manjeri by January. Subsequently, the State sanctioned the establishment of these courts. The court later directed the State to consider availing financial assistance under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment 2025-2026 by appraoching the Department of Expenditure under the Ministry of Finance for funds to set up the Special Courts.
Published – August 01, 2026 12:51 am IST
