REKHA SHARMA 2026.08.18 04:23 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this document Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh -2- 4. Since the petitioner could not be arrested, the Investigating Agency sought declaration of the petitioner as a proclaimed offender. Accordingly, vide order dated 03.01.2026, the petitioner was declared a proclaimed offender. 5. Learned counsel for the petitioner contends that the petitioner never had any knowledge about the pendency of the FIR as a result of which he neither joined the investigation nor did he avail any legal remedy. He submits that in view of the same, the order dated 03.01.2026 is liable to be quashed. 6. The prayer has been opposed by learned State counsel submitting that the allegations are very serious and for all this while, after registration of the FIR, the petitioner was on the run, as a result of which, he was rightly declared a proclaimed offender vide order dated 03.01.2026. It has been submitted that under the circumstances, no interference is called for in the said order. 7. I have considered the submissions made by learned counsel for the parties. 8. The Deputy Superintendent of Police of the Anti Narcotics Task Force, Border Range, Amritsar received secret information that one REKHA SHARMA 2026.08.18 04:23 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this document Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh -3- Lucky Kang and his nephew Karanjit Singh @ Karan (petitioner) were jointly involved in smuggling of heroin and that they were bringing heroin from the Border area on a large scale and were supplying the same in the areas of Amritsar City, Tarn Taran and other places. Accordingly, FIR No. 261 dated 15.10.2022 was registered under Sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act against Lucky Kang and the petitioner. Various persons were investigated/ arrested and they suffered disclosure statements. Paragraphs 6 to 10 of the affidavit state as under:- “6. That during the course of interrogation of accused Gurpreet Singh @ Gyani, he suffered his disclosure statement that " 04 months ago, I had called Jatin Arora in jail on the asking of Bhupinder Singh @ Sonu Kangla and told him that Bikramjit Singh @ Gora transferred to Amritsar Jail from Central Jail, Faridkot and told him to meet with Bikramjit Singh @ Bikka. Thereafter I and Bhupinder Singh 4 @ Sonu Kangla talked with Bikramjit Singh @ Bika @ Gora on mobile through Jatin Arora. Thereafter, Bikramjit Singh @ Bika @ Gora gave his mobile number to me and then we directly call to Bikramjit Singh @ Bika @ Gora and sometimes through Jatin Arora. Then, I and Sonu Kangla started doing the business of heroin with Bhupinder Singh @ Bika @ Gora. On 5-6 days ago, 05 Kg of heroin was given to me by Bikramjit Singh @ Bika @ Gora on the request of Sonu Kangla." On 08.08.2023, Bikramjit Singh @ Bika @ Gora was arrested in the present case. Thereafter, the arrest of co- accused Jatin Arora was made in the present case on 07.08.2023 after obtaining his production warrants. 7. That during the course of interrogation of co-accused Jatin Arora, he suffered his disclosure statement that "I talked with Gurpreet Singh @ Gopi Gyani close associate of Sonu Kangla through WhatsApp call from jail. One day, Gurpreet Singh Singh Bika Gopi Gyani called me and told me REKHA SHARMA 2026.08.18 04:23 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this document Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh -4- to get his talk with Bikramjit Gora. I often used to talk of Gurpreet Singh @ Gopi with Bikramjit Singh Bika Gora through my WhatsApp call. After which Gurpreet Singh @ Gopi and Sonu Kangla took the mobile number of Bikramjit Singh @ Bika @ Gora and they started talking to him. directly. Whenever, they could not talk with Bikramjit Singh @ Bika @ Gora for some reason, then they would call Bikramjit Singh @ Bika @ Gora through me.” 8. That during the course of further interrogation, the co- accused Gurpreet Gopi Gyani again suffered his disclosure statement that " I was indulged in the smuggling of heroin along with Bhupinder Singh @ Sonu Kangla and Bikramjit Singh @ Bika @ Gora. I had taken 02 Kg of heroin from bridge of Tarn Taran on the instructions of Bhupinder Singh @ Sonu Kangla and out of which I has delivered 1.5 Kg of heroin to some persons known to Bhupinder Singh @ Sonu Kangla and I has hidden the remaining 500 grams of heroin in the horse stud farm Bhupinder Singh Sonu Kangla. Thereafter, a raid was conducted at the horse stud farm belonging to Bhupinder Singh @ Sonu Kangla and upon conducting the search 500 grams of heroin was recovered from one heavy polythene bag.” 9. That during the course of investigation of co-accused Dhruv got recorded his disclosure statement dated 14.09.2023 that his relative co-accused Bhupinder Singh @ Sonu Kangla had been in company of bad elements for a long time and including those of drugs, gangsters, snatching, assault, illegal arms etc. have been registered against him. That co-accused Sonu Kangla was lodged in jail in aforesaid cases and even from there he used to operate his drug and other businesses. That to carry out his drugs business and other illegal businesses he had constituted a gang of co-accused Lakhwinder Singh @ Lucky, Karan i.e. present petitioner, Gurpreet Singh @ Gopi Gyani, Jatin Arora, Sami Mia @ Shankar, Gopi Mota, Jaidev Singh, Bagga Khan, Rohan REKHA SHARMA 2026.08.18 04:23 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this document Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh -5- Malhotra, Lakhwinder Singh @ Lakha, Vicky. The said co- accused Dhruv further stated that all of them were carrying out drug and other illegal business on the instruction of co- accused Bhupinder Singh @ Sonu Kangla and used to procure and deliver drugs also on his instructions. 10. That during the course of investigation, the co-accused namely Shankar @ Shami Miya has also been arrested in the present case on 19.10.2023 and he also got recovered 01 Kg and 700 grams of heroin.” 9. When the petitioner was not appearing before the investigating agency, arrest warrants were issued against him followed by a look-out circular. Eventually, he was declared a proclaimed offender vide order dated 03.01.2026. The said order is not on record. What is on record appears to be an intimation as regards the petitioner having been declared a proclaimed offender. 10. Be that as it may, the fact remains that ever since the registration of the FIR, the petitioner neither surrendered before the Court nor joined the investigation as a result of which, he was rightly declared a proclaimed offender. Nothing at all has been shown by learned counsel for the petitioner which may have even remotely led this Court to interfere with the declaration of the petitioner as a proclaimed offender. 11. That being so, the present petition is found to be devoid of merit and is accordingly dismissed. Rekha REKHA SHARMA 2026.08.18 04:23 I attest to the accuracy and authenticity of this document Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh