Punjab’s drug-free vow tested as trainee cops flunk dope test

In a setback to the AAP government’s war on drugs, six trainee constables at the Police Recruits Training Centre in Jahan Khelan (Hoshiarpur) have tested positive for narcotics. The recruits have been sent back to their home districts without completing basic training. They will now undergo compulsory de-addiction and rehabilitation before being reconsidered for police service.

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Cloud over May 31 deadline

Six recruits at police training centre in Jahan Khelan were found intoxicated, later tested positive for narcotics

The incident undermines DGP Gaurav Yadav’s strict May 31 deadline to eradicate drugs

It also raises concerns over narcotics infiltration even within police training facilities

This comes just weeks after DGP Gaurav Yadav set a May 31 deadline to eliminate drugs from the state, issuing stern directions to district police chiefs to snap the supply chain.

Sources reveal the incident shocked authorities at the centre where hundreds of other recruits were undergoing training before joining the police force. “The six recruits were found under the influence of some intoxicant and looked inebriated during training, which raised many eyebrows. How and from where they obtained narcotics inside the centre warrants a thorough probe,” they said.

According to an official letter dated May 24, 2025, addressed to the Commissioner of Ludhiana and the SSPs of Patiala and Tarn Taran, a copy of which is with The Tribune, the recruits (names withheld) have been suspended from batch No. 270. The letter, written by the Commandant of the Police Recruits Training Centre, Jahan Khelan, states that the Chief Drill Inspector observed their abnormal body language during training, indicating possible intoxication.

“The six were sent for a dope test at the Hoshiarpur Civil Hospital, where the Civil Surgeon’s office confirmed they had tested positive,” the letter states. It mentions that they have been sent back to their respective districts, from where they should be directed to de-addiction centres to ensure they do not cast a shadow over others in the department.

A senior IPS officer confirmed that the recruits have been sent back and must undergo de-addiction treatment, else they will lose their jobs. “We will question them to determine whether they consumed substances brought from outside the centre or procured from some insider. The issue is serious as the police at the grassroots level are the first responders in the war against drugs. It is crucial that no addict serves in the department,” he told The Tribune.