Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court has suspended Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADJ) Naveen Kumar Meena with immediate effect over alleged irregularities in granting bail in cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Judge Meena is currently posted as an ADJ in Chohtan, Barmer. During his suspension, his headquarters will remain in Jaipur.
The allegations relate to the period when he was serving as the Special NDPS Court Judge in Nasirabad, Ajmer. According to the complaints, he granted bail to accused persons in several commercial quantity drug cases, even though such cases are generally subject to very strict bail conditions under the NDPS Act.
One of the most serious allegations is that he granted bail to an accused found with 6 kg of opium, even though the Rajasthan High Court had earlier rejected the accused’s bail application. In another case, he allegedly granted relief to an accused despite the recovery of 200 kg of doda post (poppy husk).
Some of these accused had already been denied bail by the High Court, making the trial court’s decision to grant bail a matter of serious concern.
After complaints from the State Government and other parties reached the Rajasthan High Court, the matter was examined. Considering the seriousness of the allegations, Acting Chief Justice Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma directed that Judge Meena be suspended pending investigation.
The High Court has assigned its Vigilance Registrar to conduct a detailed inquiry into the allegations. The investigation is currently underway, and Judge Meena will remain under suspension until further orders.
The State Government has also decided to challenge the bail orders passed in these cases. It has already filed petitions before the Rajasthan High Court seeking cancellation of bail in some cases, while petitions in other cases are expected to be filed soon.
In short, the suspension is not a finding of guilt. It is an interim administrative action taken while the High Court investigates allegations that Judge Naveen Kumar Meena improperly granted bail in serious NDPS cases, including cases involving commercial quantities of narcotic substances where bail had previously been refused by the High Court.