Amritsar village Cong leader tweets to Channi on drug menace; SHO says issue of groupism

Punjab police has also been accused of inaction and not acting on complaints, as they ask the one complaining to provide them names of drug smugglers, the husband of a sarpanch has alleged

Amritsar Amid the raging political crisis in the Punjab government, a Congress leader in Amritsar, Ravinder Cheema, has raised the issue of rampant drug menace, the eradication of which was one of the key pre-poll promises of the party.

Ravinder Cheema of a Punjab village says drug menace is rampant in his Amritsar abode, but police do not act against smuggling; the government must act immediately, he adds. (HT Photo)

“I am sarpanch of Cheema Bath village [sic] falling under the Baba Bakala constituency. I have repeatedly informed the local police about those who have been selling drugs, but no action has been taken so far. If drug smuggling continues as it is, my village will be ruined. Please take immediate action. My mind is saddened,” Cheema, a member of the block samiti and husband of the party’s sarpanch, had tweeted on September 30 (Thursday), while tagging Channi.

Cheema told HT on Saturday, “After my tweet, Amritsar-rural police raided some locations in my village, but those involved in drug smuggling have gone underground.”

He added, “I have been complaining to the police for months, but they asked me to name those involved in the trade. If I directly reveal their names to the police, these people will harm me and my family, as they are dangerous. Police know who is behind these networks, but don’t act deliberately.”

He added that to underplay the drug problem in his village, police had taken a note from the family of a young man, suspected to be a victim of drug overdose, stating that their ward did not die of drugs. There was no medical examination carried out, he alleged.

“Many people of our village are involved in drug smuggling. They all should be sent behind bars. We need a good society,” he said, adding that if this continues, many more deaths due to drugs will happen in the coming days.

Beas station house officer (SHO) Harjit Singh, however, feigned ignorance about the issue. He said, “There is no complaint from any leader regarding drug smuggling or the menace of drugs.There is an issue of groupism.”

Even as Channi had not responded to his tweet, Amritsar-rural police had replied, “We are looking into the matter.”