SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a 50 per cent spike in narcotics-related cases over three years, but its conviction rate remains stubbornly low at just 41.3 per cent, even as neighbouring Ladakh recorded a perfect conviction rate in 2022, according to official data tabled in Parliament today.
Figures released by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai show that 1,837 cases were registered under the NDPS Act in Jammu and Kashmir in 2022, up from 1,681 in 2021 and 1,222 in 2020. However, the conviction rate in J&K, despite improving from a dismal 15.7 per cent in 2020, has plateaued at 41.3 per cent for the past two years—far below the national benchmarks and far behind states like Kerala (99.4%), Mizoram (95.8%), and Maharashtra (71.1%).
In contrast, Ladakh registered just eight NDPS cases in 2022, but reported a 100 per cent conviction rate, reflecting stronger judicial closure on a much smaller caseload.
The details came in response to a question by MP K C Venugopal during Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, prompting the Home Ministry to lay out state-wise data on drug-related offences and convictions for the years 2020 to 2022, based on NCRB records.
The ministry’s reply also underscored the financial and legal tools the Centre has deployed to combat narcotics across the country. These include the Assistance to States and UTs for Narcotics Control Scheme, extended through 2025-26 with a total outlay of Rs 50 crore, of which Rs 10.85 crore has been released in the last five years. Additionally, the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has disbursed Rs 777.19 crore since 2020 to support rehabilitation, awareness, and de-addiction services.
On the legislative front, the government has added 14 new narcotic substances, 29 psychotropic substances, and 28 precursor chemicals to its control list under the NDPS framework over the past five years, aiming to widen the legal net against synthetic and designer drugs.
While major states like Punjab, Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh dominate the national NDPS chart in terms of volume, the steady rise in narcotics cases in Jammu and Kashmir, coupled with low conviction rates, has raised alarm, especially given the region’s vulnerability to cross-border drug trafficking and the growing link between narcotics and organised crime.
Security officials and legal experts in Kashmir say the numbers reflect both increased enforcement activity and systemic delays in prosecution, with courts often burdened by backlogs and forensic dependencies. Calls are growing within civil society for a more integrated approach combining policing, judicial reform, community intervention, and youth outreach.
