BENGALURU: Considering the rampant sale and consumption of drugs in the city, the Bengaluru city police have embarked on an extremely stringent measure targeting the very demand for drugs.
Invoking Section 27(b) of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the police have begun sending those found consuming drugs to jail.
Up till now, it was mainly the drug carriers who were penalised or arrested. While that is bound to continue with a renewed vigour, the police have decided to arrest those consuming drugs even if they are not found carrying any on their person.
Section 27 (b) of NDPS Act specifies punishment for consumption of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance.
Whoever consumes any narcotic drug or psychotropic substances, will be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend up to six months, or with a fine which may extend up to Rs 10,000, or both.
Additional Commissioner of Police (East) S Murugan, said, “Drug consumers or addicts are a threat to society. Cases are registered only after doctors certify that the person is under the influence.”
After Alok Kumar took charge as police commissioner on June 17, he has directed all the police stations within the city’s jurisdiction to be serious and crackdown on drug consumption in an unprecedented manner.
As per the orders issued by the police commissioner, the police have started looking for persons displaying behavioural patterns that may be linked to drug consumption in their respective police jurisdictions.
A police inspector for East Division explained to Express how they go about it: If any person is found displaying behaviour or characteristics symptomatic to drug consumption — dilated pupils is one such symptom — then they will be detained.
The police have also been trained to detect whether a person has consumed drugs from the manner he/she replies to basic queries that they have been ordered to ask suspects. Once the suspicion is in place, the person is subjected to medical examination.
If found positive for drug consumption, the doctor’s certificate is taken and higher police officials informed before the accused are booked under the NDPS Act and arrested.
A police inspector did admit that there are chances of the test coming negative and that they may have suspected an innocent individual.
“We will not trouble any person if he is innocent. But he will be let off after the medical test, of course with an apology,” the officer said.
What is Sec 27(b) of NDPS Act?
Section 27 (b) of NDPS Act mandates punishment for consumption of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance. Whoever consumes any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance will be punishable.
Where imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees or with both.
Case 1
On July 17, around 11 pm, two cops with the Commercial Street police station found a person behaving abnormally near Ramada Hotel in Shivajinagar.
He was taken for a medical test where doctors confirmed it. The consumer was identified as Tohid (34), a salesman living in HBR Layout. He was booked under section 27(b) of NDPS Act and sent to jail.
Case 2
In another case, on July 15, a head constable of Banaswadi police station and his colleague were on patrolling duty when at 10 am, on Naghaianapalya in Banaswadi, they found a person facing difficulty while walking.
The police took him to a hospital where doctors confirmed he had taken drugs. The consumer Prabhu (29), an auto driver, was sent to jail.