Once infamous as Delhi’s drugs hot spot, Sagarpur gets a new lease of life
The problem was once so rampant that residents often came across prospective “clients” standing in queues outside the houses of key drug peddlers, along with addicts, particularly teenagers, consuming or injecting narcotic substances in local parks or isolated place
At least three separate surveys conducted by the anti-narcotics cell of the Delhi Police between 2018 and 2023 have found one thing in common – all three reports have pointed to Sagarpur, a semi-urban neighbourhood in near Janakpuri in west Delhi, as what they described as a “hot spot” for areas dealing in narcotic substances.
The problem was once so rampant that residents said they started noticing “prospective clients” standing in queues outside the houses of locally infamous drug peddlers, along with addicts, particularly teenagers, consuming or injecting narcotic substances in local parks or other isolated places.
A senior officer said Sagarpur’s infamy was not in isolation and many factors played a role. “One of the reasons for Sagarpur’s bad reputation was that if drug users from other parts of the city or across the border (Haryana) failed to obtain narcotics such as smack, marijuana, and heroin in their own areas, their hands would never be empty if they visited Sagarpur,” the officer from southwest police district — of which Sagarpur is a part — said.
However, of late, things have taken a turn for the better.
Worried over the growing number of crimes and the spread of drug menace among teenagers, police officers, in partnership with local resident welfare associations (RWAs) and a few individuals, took steps to combat this reputation of Sagarpur.
What followed was a year-long operation by police, which included the identification of houses and spots where narcotics were sold and consumed, classifying drug peddlers, their supply chain, and modus operandi and constant crackdowns on illegal activities. This resulted in the arrest of around 20 key peddlers, externment of 15 repeat offenders, and many others shifting their bases outside the area, senior police officers associated with the police action said.
After nearly a year and barring a few instances, the area has almost transformed into a “no drugs zone”, with a sharp decline in such cases, said the officers and residents when HT visited the area on July 2.
This year till July 6, only four narcotics-related cases have been registered at the Sagarpur police station, in which four people were arrested.
During the corresponding period last year, 16 cases were registered and 18 people were arrested. Meanwhile, in 2022, 17 cases were registered under the relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and 18 people were arrested.
“At least two drug lords have been booked and jailed under the stringent Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act, a law under which preventive detention for a period of one year without bail is possible,” said Krishna Ballabh Jha, station house officer (SHO) of the Sagarpur police station.
How the clean-up began
Recalling an incident that prompted the police to launch its crackdown, Jha said that when he joined the police station in 2022, locals complained to him about the drug menace that was directly impacting them and their children.
The local police then started collecting information about the illegal activities. They learnt that in areas of Sagarpur such as main Sagarpur, Brahmpuri, Kailashpuri, and west Sagarpur, the sale and use of narcotic substances was rampant. The policemen started visiting the areas posing as decoy customers to identify the houses where drugs were sold.
Another officer said that at least six teams – each comprising four personnel – were formed and they were tasked to assess the situation on the ground, identify problematic areas, culprits and their modus operandi, and act accordingly. The teams learnt that drug peddling in Sagarpur was an organised crime and a lucrative illegal business spearheaded by a few families.
Some of the peddlers were identified as Chaman Kaur, her children — Joginder Singh alias Joga, who is in jail with wife Sangeeta alias Bachchi since they were arrested in a murder case in 2019, and Sarwan Kaur alias Chhabo — Ajay Mogli, his mother Bobby, Sunny and his wife Sarika, Lakhan alias Lucky, Harjeet Singh, Amit Sansi, Jonny Kartoos and his wife Saroja, Dhamu, Chetan and his brother Vishal. The teams also identified their houses and other spots where they carried out their drug trade.
The action
The teams closely monitored activities of the suspects and studied their modus operandi and the timings of their activity. They found a unique system of “sale windows” – drug peddlers place counters behind the locked iron gate of their houses and sit there to sell drugs through a small hole in the gate. Also, these houses had installed CCTV cameras around their houses and also in the lanes leading to their houses to keep a vigil on movement of police officers. Their associates guarded the lanes and raised special signals in case they saw movement of personnel or police vehicles, a third police officer said.
“Since the criminals were working in an organised manner, we had to take some unusual steps to counter them. We started conducting surprise raids in their houses and did not hesitate cutting the gates using gas cutters. The holes created in the gates were sealed with iron plates and CCTVs installed by them in the lanes were removed or disconnected,” the third officer said.
Regular announcements through loudhailers, warning drug peddlers to stop their illegal business or face consequences, were made in the neighbourhood.
“We also placed permanent police pickets and deployed personnel round-the-clock outside the houses of key dealers. Many CCTV cameras have also been installed at the key peddling spots. We have also formed teams of local residents who serve as our eyes and ears. As a result, nearly 50% of the drug sellers have either stopped their illegal activities or have shifted themselves out of Sagarpur. Those who continue the crime even after coming out of jail are dealt as per law,” said the SHO.
What locals say
When HT spoke to some residents regarding the claims of the city police, they gave mixed reactions. While many of them appreciated the police efforts and agreed that there was a decline in sale and use of narcotics in their area, others said the illegal activities were continuing, just in a more clandestine manner.
“The change is visible. Earlier, women and children feared using such lanes or visiting the park in the evening. After frequent raids and arrests by police, the same places look cleaner and safer,” said Vishwa Singh, a resident of main Sagarpur.
Another resident of the neighbourhood, Deepak Kumar alias Deepu, 39, claimed otherwise and said: “It will be wrong to say that Sagarpur has completely transformed. It’s correct that the crackdown has some demonstrative effect on peddlers. But their families and associates are secretly continuing the business.”