KOCHI: Expressing concern over the growing menace of consumption and peddling of drugs on college campuses, the Kerala High Court on Monday directed the state government to provide the details of institutions where the use of drugs is rampant. The court issued the order while initiating suo motu proceedings based on a letter sent by former Kottayam district police chief N Ramachandran, highlighting the alarming increase in drug abuse and related incidents in the state.
The Division Bench held that the report should be handed over to the court in a sealed cover so that the court can give necessary directions to the police officers and monitor the steps taken to control the availability of drugs. The bench orally observed that its main concern is the increase in the number of college students involved in drug cases.
The government should take precautionary measures to curb the use of drugs among students. Though the government has organised awareness programmes in educational institutions against drug abuse, the court felt that this alone will not deliver the desired result. The court asked the government whether the intelligence agencies of the state police have collected any information regarding drug peddling on college campuses in the state.
‘Govt taking steps to curb drug menace’
Appearing for the state, senior government pleader Suman Chakravarthy submitted that the government is taking effective measures to curb the menace. The government has also introduced Abon drug detection kits in a few city police stations to nab people using narcotic substances. The police will insert the sponge end of the fluid collector into the mouth of a suspected person to collect saliva samples. The fluid collector will be inserted into a test device for one minute. If it generates a coloured line, the result will be positive. The government pointed out that the use of drugs is rampant among students and youth attending DJ parties.