CHANDIGARH: Punjab’s Yudh Nashean Virudh (war against drugs) is increasingly being defined not merely by arrests, but by a sharp rise in convictions that are standing firm in courts, signalling a decisive shift in the state’s strategy against narcotics. Backed by the Bhagwant Mann Government’s flagship campaign Yudh Nashean Virudh under the leadership of CM Bhagwant Singh Mann, enforcement agencies are now focusing on building legally robust cases that ensure traffickers are not just caught, but punished.
Police officials attribute Punjab’s remarkable conviction rate of 88% in cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the highest in the country, to a systematic transformation in policing. This includes prosecution-led investigations, scientific evidence collection, financial tracking of drug networks, and technology-driven intelligence gathering.
According to official data, a total of 3870 convictions were secured out of 4812 NDPS cases decided by courts in 2022, reflecting a conviction rate of 80%. This rose to 81% in 2023 with 5635 convictions out of 6976 cases, and further to 85% in 2024 with 6219 convictions out of 7281 cases. In 2025, the conviction rate reached 88% with 6488 convictions out of 7373 cases. In 2026, 1634 convictions have already been secured out of 1831 NDPS cases decided so far, pushing the conviction rate to 89%, the highest in the country.
These outcomes are being driven by Yudh Nashean Virudh, which has provided strong policy direction and institutional backing to enforcement agencies, ensuring that anti-drug efforts move beyond seizures and arrests to securing time-bound convictions.
Senior police officials highlighted that the key to this success lies in a fundamental shift in policing philosophy. “The objective is not just to arrest traffickers but to make sure that they get jailed too. Our investigations are now designed to meet the highest legal standards so that cases stand strong during trial, ” a senior Punjab Police officer said, adding, “Every step, from drug seizure to documentation and forensic examination, is carried out in strict compliance with NDPS procedures so that traffickers cannot escape merely on technical grounds.”