Kochi, Feb 4 (IANS): The Kerala High Court has come to the help of a 24-year-old man who was the fourth accused in a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances case when he was allowed to travel abroad for employment as the trial in the case will take a long time.

The case against the young man was registered in 2018 and has been pending in a lower court since 2019.

The High Court took up the case on the report of a lower court judge that at least two years would be required for the disposal of the petitioner's case.

“This court is of the opinion that, if two years are required to dispose of the case, it will be unjust to deny the petitioner an opportunity to earn his living by working abroad,” the court observed.

The court also directed the lower court to grant him permission to travel.

The petitioner submitted that he was granted bail in March 2019 and that he had approached the trial court seeking permission to travel abroad for employment, which was turned down.

It was then the petitioner approached the high court and got a favourable verdict.

The high court realised after getting a report from this lower court found out that there were 4,000 cases pending and there were over 1,000 cases that were five years old.

Incidentally around 41,531 NDPS cases were registered in Kerala during the 15-month period ending June 2024.

Ernakulum with over 6,000 cases led from the front followed by Malappuram district (5,906 cases) followed by Kozhikode (5,385 cases ). The lowest number of NDPS cases were registered in Pathanamthitta, with only 291 cases.