CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government is adopting the 'bulldozer' model seen in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana by demolishing the houses of those accused of various crimes.
On Thursday, the house of a drug peddler was demolished by the Punjab Police in Patiala, while the houses of two drug smugglers in Ludhiana had been razed earlier. The ruling AAP has drawn flak over rampant drug abuse due to its easy availability in the state.
The Punjab Police demolished the two-storied corner house of drug peddler Rinki at Rori Kut Mohalla Lakkad mandi in Patiala on Thursday. Senior Superintendent of Police of Patiala Nanak Singh along with a battery of senior officers were present at the spot during the action.
Nanak Singh said the house was demolished as police had the requisite orders. A total of 10 First Information Reports (FIRs) were registered under the NDPS Act from 2016 till 2023 against Rinki.
"She is as of now absconding and earlier she had been arrested by the police about ten times," he said.
Noting that the locality was infamous for its association with drug peddlers, he added that a heavy police force was deployed to avert any law and order problems.
"We examined the whole case and found that the house was constructed through the money earned from selling drugs," said Singh.
Earlier, on Monday, the state police demolished the houses of two drug smugglers -- Sonu of Talwandi village near Ladhowal and Rahul Hans of Bhai Himmat Singh Nagar in Dugri in Ludhiana district -- as part of the state government's war on drugs.
Sonu has been actively involved in drug smuggling for three years and has six FIRs registered against him, while Rahul was arrested by Dugri police in 2024 after the recovery of more than 41,000 intoxicating tablets and Rs 2.15 lakh drug money. The state police said they have identified 78 more properties that will be razed following legal procedures.
The Punjab government has announced a crackdown on drug abuse in the state. The district administrations have been instructed to ensure the availability of adequate rehabilitation and de-addiction facilities.
Ludhiana Police Commissioner Kuldeep Singh Chahal said both drug peddlers were habitual offenders and these properties were constructed using money obtained from the sale of drugs. "All their properties which are either illegal or have been built using drug money will be demolished in the coming days," he said.
Meanwhile the state government on Thursday formed a five-member cabinet committee to combat the increasing drug menace in the state. The committee’s primary responsibility will be to oversee the actions of the police and health departments in addressing and curbing drug addiction.
It will be chaired by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema. The other members will be New and Renewable Energy Minister Aman Arora, Health Minister Balbir Singh, Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar and Industries Minister Taranpreet Sondh.
Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann had formed a State Steering Committee, headed by Chief Secretary KAP Sinha with Principal Secretary Rahul Tiwari as its nodal officer, to monitor and coordinate the de-addiction and rehabilitation programme.