Breaking: High Court slams bid to summon CP Ludhiana, stays Jalandhar Court order
“Senior officers cannot be dragged to court to delay trials,” observes Punjab & Haryana High Court
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, February 4, 2026: The Punjab & Haryana High Court on Wednesday took a stern view of the practice of summoning senior police officers as defence witnesses without justification, while hearing a petition challenging the order of a Jalandhar court summoning the Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana, Swapan Sharma in an NDPS case.
The matter was heard by Justice Jasjeet Singh Bedi in Court No. 52, where the Bench strongly rebuked both the petitioner’s counsel and the trial court, terming the move a calculated attempt to obstruct and delay the trial, the Bench openly reprimanded the petitioner’s counsel and strongly disapproved the Jalandhar court’s order.
*The Bench pointedly questioned in the open court:*
“_Why do you need the Commissioner of Police, Ludhiana to come to court? Just to give you a CCTV record?_”,
The Bench expressed serious surprise at the Jalandhar trial court’s decision to issue bailable warrants for summoning senior police officers.
When the counsel failed to give any satisfactory answer, the Court remarked that upright senior officers who were neither part of the investigation nor cited as witnesses cannot be summoned merely to gain attention or stall proceedings.
The High Court categorically observed that calling high-ranking officers in cases where they have no investigative role amounts to misuse of judicial process, especially in time-bound NDPS trials.
It is also pertinent to note that when a request was formally made on behalf of CP Ludhiana to permit appearance through video conferencing, the Jalandhar court ought to have entertained and considered the request, instead of insisting on physical appearance—an approach the High Court implicitly disapproved.
Taking serious note of the matter, the High Court stayed the Jalandhar court’s summoning order, granting relief to the CP Ludhiana and sending a clear message against frivolous defence tactics aimed at delaying justice.
In a significant observation, the High Court also took note of the media overreach that followed the summoning order, where misinformed and speculative reporting sought to tarnish the image of senior police officers. Such propaganda-driven coverage, the Court observed, causes an overall setback to journalistic transparency and public trust, especially when officers are performing statutory duties in high-stakes investigations.
Glance at the actual case:
- The present NDPS case arises from a successful, well-coordinated anti-drug operation, not a routine or failed investigation.
- In March 2024, Jalandhar Commissionerate Police busted an international drug smuggling cartel, culminating a two-month-long operation.
- The crackdown, exposed a multi-layered drug nexus operating across states and international borders.
- The network was involved in smuggling narcotics to the UK, USA, Australia, and Canada via courier channels.
- The operation led to: Arrest of nine accused, many caught from outside Punjab, seizure of 22 kg of opium, including 17 kg directly linked to the nine arrested accused.
- Arrest of Abhi Ram from Jharkhand, identified as a grower and collector, with 12 kg opium, involvement of couriers, hawala operators, and middlemen, freezing of 30 bank accounts involving transactions worth ₹9 crore, identified as drug proceeds.
- Exposure of a deeper nexus involving six Customs officials, including the arrest of four Customs employees from Delhi.
The High Court observed that the accused were apprehended, recoveries were effected, and the entire supply chain was dismantled, making it abundantly clear that summoning senior officers in such a case serves no purpose except delaying justice.
Taking serious note of these facts, the High Court stayed the Jalandhar court’s summoning order, granting immediate relief to the CP Ludhiana and sending a strong, unambiguous message that the judicial process cannot be misused to harass senior officers or derail effective anti-drug prosecutions.