The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court on Wednesday rejected the bail plea of a youth allegedly involved in a narco-terrorism case, underscoring the emerging threat of narcotics being used as a tool of proxy war by cross-border elements.
Justice Rajesh Sekhri, while dismissing the application, observed that narco-terrorism has evolved beyond the mere smuggling of drugs and arms, and now serves as a strategic weapon to destabilize the country. “The use of narcotics as a terror currency and the cross-border smuggling of narcotics and terror activities have, of late, become a new front of proxy war, unleashed by the adversaries from across the border,” the court noted.
Elaborating on the gravity of the case, Justice Sekhri said that the accused was not a mere conduit but an active participant in an organised narco-terror module that aimed to disrupt India’s economic and social fabric. “A dual strategy of sending across the drugs and weapons is being employed by the enemy to threaten economic security of the country, incite subversive activities and disrupt the social fabric,” the court stated.
The accused, who was a minor at the time of his arrest, will nonetheless be tried as an adult due to the serious nature of the offences and the assessment of his mental maturity by the Juvenile Justice Board. He was arrested in connection with FIR No. 21/2022 at Police Station Samba under stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Arms Act, Foreigners Act, and the Enemy Agents Ordinance.
Investigations conducted by the State Investigation Agency (SIA) revealed that the accused was actively aiding an international drug and arms smuggling network with direct links to Pakistan. The kingpin of the gang, code-named ‘Rana’, is reportedly operating from Pakistan with the motive of fomenting subversion and unrest within Indian borders.
Justice Sekhri concluded that releasing the accused on bail would undermine the seriousness of the charges and “defeat the ends of justice,” especially given the organized and cross-border nature of the criminal activities involved.
