The Supreme Court bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud on Monday (July 16) was informed by Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh that the AIIMS has been directed to collect data as a first step to comprehensive policy to check cultivation, use and supply of narcotics in the country.

The case has come up off a PIL filed by Kethireddy Jagadishwar Reddy.

The petitioner, a resident of Tamil Nadu, has prayed for an action plan for creating awareness on the ill-effects of usage of narcotics, taking stringent action on suppliers of narcotics by strengthening the investigative mechanism, confiscation of properties of drug peddlers and discouraging promotion/ showing/ glorification of drug use on televisions and movies.

The ASG sought a three-month adjournment, but the court granted an extension till September 7, 2018 and listed it for September 10. Copy of the order to be served to senior counsel Gopal Subramaniam, who is assisting the court in this matter.

—India Legal Bureau