Chandigarh, Aug. 27 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court has summoned director general of police (law and order) over police officials not appearing as witnesses in drugs cases despite lower courts issuing non-bailable warrants against them.

"This state of affairs reflects a deeply disturbing and systemic lapse in the prosecutorial mechanism, whereby the trial is stalled indefinitely due to the indifference or wilful non-cooperation of official witnesses. Such conduct not only frustrates the right of the accused-whether incarcerated or on bail-to a speedy trial as enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution of India, but also gravely undermines the administration of criminal justice," the bench of justice Sumeet Goel observed while he...