Another drug peddler faces house demolition in Amritsar

The city police along with the municipal corporation demolished the house of another drug peddler in the infamous Gujjarpura locality here on Thursday.

The house allegedly belonged to Ajay Kumar, alias Billi, who faced around five criminal cases, including one under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act against him, said Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar.

“Billi, a notorious drug peddler, is facing five criminal cases, one robbery case and four under the NDPS Act registered at the Civil Lines and Division C police stations here,” said Bhullar, adding that he has been absconding for around a year now. The two-storeyed house was being razed after the municipal corporation designated it as illegal structure and sought police help for demolition.

As the house was located in the narrow street of Gujjarpura locality, the JCB machine was unable to demolish the house. Later, the authorities manually demolished the upper portion.

Paramjit Kaur, mother of Ajay Kumar Billi, repeatedly urged the administration not to raze the house. She said she did not get any prior notice from the civic body. She said she had disinherited him from her property. She said the house was built from the money earned by her husband who died in 2018. She said she had two widow daughters.

“Billi has not visited his house for a year and she too lives with her two daughters. She comes to house once in a month,” she pleaded.

This is the third such operation in the city. Earlier, the police and civic body authorities had demolished the houses of two drug traffickers — Sandeep Singh, alias Sonu, in Bharariwal area on the Jhabal road and Gurmeet Singh of Maqboolpura area on March 6.

Bhullar said the police investigation was being carried to identify drug peddlers and their properties.

He said the city police have made significant seizures during a crackdown on the drug trafficking by the Punjab Government. He said people have appreciated the steps being taken by the police and the civic body by demolishing the houses of drug peddlers which were raised from ill-gotten money.