Punjab: Illegal constructions by peddlers razed in Jalandhar; 9 held
Rooftop portions were used by peddlers to escape during police raids, d Lakhanpal village, traditionally infamous for rampant drug sale and supply, had been under surveillance, says police commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur
A police team on Sunday arrested nine “drug peddlers” and also demolished some “illegally constructed” rooftop portions of a few houses which peddlers had been allegedly using to flee during police raids in Lakhanpal village. The operation was led by police commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur who said Lakhanpal village, traditionally infamous for rampant drug sale and supply, had been under surveillance. A joint team of the panchayat department and police razed unauthorised structures built on government land by notorious drug peddlers, officials said.
The police commissioner said, “Police investigations revealed that primary accused Hardeep Singh, alias Deepa, a history-sheeter, had nine cases registered against him, including seven under the NDPS Act. His father Sarbjit Singh and brother Sandeep, alias Sonu, also faced two criminal cases each.”
She said the demolished rooftop portions were being misused by drug peddlers to escape during police raids. “By removing these illegal structures, we have curtailed their escape routes. We intend to intensify our raids further and clean the village of its bad name once and for all,” she asserted.
Earlier in the day, nine peddlers were arrested while several others fled, leaving their homes locked. In addition to the arrests, the police have identified two properties for freezing under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act to further tighten the noose around drug traffickers.
The residents of Lakhanpal welcomed the bulldozer action against the drug mafia, expressing hope for a safer and drug-free future for the village.
