489 deserted spots used by drug addicts identified in city

Mumbai police reported to the State Human Rights Commission that there are 489 spots frequented by drug addicts in the city, leading to increased vigilance and installation of additional lighting and CCTV cameras. QR codes were also installed to ensure police patrol units visit these spots. This comes after a news report highlighted rising crimes and harassment of women at isolated spots frequented by drug addicts. Vigilance increased in February 2023, resulting in the arrest of 126 drug peddlers and 705 drug users, with the highest drug seizure in Zone 8 (BKC).

MUMBAI: The Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of the Mumbai police has informed the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) that there are 489 spots in the city that are frequented by drug addicts, and after receiving complaints of anti-social activities and harassment of women at these spots, vigilance has been increased and additional lighting and CCTV camera systems have been installed at the spots. The ANC also told the commission that QR codes have been installed at the spots to ensure that beat marshals and police patrol units visit them.

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The SHRC, on February 27, 2023, had taken suo motu cognisance of a news report, highlighting rising crimes and harassment of women across the city, especially at isolated spots which were frequented by drug addicts. The report stated that apart from isolated places like Shakti Mills where a woman was raped ten years ago by five persons allegedly consuming drugs, there were many other spots in the city which were deserted and had become a den for drug peddlers and consumers. The report stated that there was possibility of the Shakti Mills gang rape case being repeated.

The bench headed by SHRC chairperson Justice K K Tated and member M A Sayeed had directed the BMC, Mumbai police commissioner and joint commissioner to respond to the article and identify the deserted spots in the city which had become dens of drug addicts and peddlers. The bench had also directed the respondents to furnish details of what initiatives they were taking to curb the same.

In an affidavit, Prakash Jadhav, deputy commissioner of police, ANC, on behalf of the Mumbai CP and joint CP, submitted that pursuant to the SHRC order, his office had sought details of isolated spots and initiatives were taken by the 13 zonal DCPs to ensure that crimes did not occur there.

Advocate Kavita Solunke, appearing for the police, submitted that as per the affidavit, there were 489 isolated spots which were identified in each ward and the list of most dominant areas was furnished along with the reply. Although the reply did not specify all the isolated spots, it did point out the suburbs with the greatest number of isolated spots: Bandra, Khar, Juhu, Santacruz, Amboli, Oshiwara, Versova and D N Nagar, including the bylanes adjoining Turner Road, Rizvi College and Reclamation in Bandra. In Khar and Santacruz, bylanes adjoining Sacred Heart School, Ramkrishna Mission, Union Park, Trade Centre Mall, St Thomas Church and Rajesh Khanna Garden respectively were some of the areas where the lanes were isolated.

The affidavit states that new QR Codes were installed in such spots following the suo motu petition, and in all there are 10,326 QR Codes installed across the city. The reports of visits by beat marshals, patrol units and Nirbhaya pathaks have been tabulated since the SHRC issued the summons to the Mumbai police.

The affidavit further states that from February 28 to March 31, vigilance was increased in the isolated areas which resulted in the arrest of 126 drug peddlers and 705 drug users. The action also resulted in the seizure of 106 kg of drugs worth ₹13.57 crore. The highest seizure was in Zone 8 (BKC), where 37.96 kg of contraband was seized, followed by 21.96 and 11.63 kg in Zone 11 (Bangur Nagar to Gorai) and Zone 10 (Meghwadi to Jogeshwari) respectively.

The maximum arrests of users were made in Zone 6 (172), Zone 9 (142) and Zone 7 (115). Zone 10 saw the arrest of only one user.