99 convicted out of 2,979 NDPS charge-sheets in Tripura: CM Manik Saha

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on March 23 informed the Tripura Legislative Assembly that 99 accused have been convicted out of 2,979 charge-sheets filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act over the past three years, reflecting a conviction rate of 3.06 per cent.

Replying to a written question by Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman, the Chief Minister said that law enforcement agencies filed 2,979 charge-sheets under the NDPS Act between 2023 and 2025. Of these, only 99 accused were convicted by trial courts.

Saha said the state government has constituted an Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) to strengthen enforcement under the NDPS Act. He added that officers of the task force have undergone specialised training to ensure proper investigation of drug-related cases.

Raising concern over the low conviction rate, Roy Barman alleged loopholes in the investigation process leading to acquittals. He claimed that police have largely arrested drug carriers while failing to apprehend the kingpins of drug rackets. He also urged the government to install scanning facilities at booking points for parcels and packets to curb trafficking.

Asserting that the government follows a zero-tolerance policy against the drug menace, the Chief Minister attributed the low conviction rate primarily to the lack of witnesses.

“In murder cases also, witnesses often turn hostile, reducing the merit of the charge-sheets. The same is happening in drug-related cases, allowing accused persons to be set free due to lack of solid witnesses,” Saha said.

He further stated that several cases are still pending before trial courts and expressed hope that the conviction rate would improve once these cases are disposed of.