Batala MC razes drug smuggler’s house

In the absence of any provision under the NDPS Act to demolish properties of drug smugglers, the Batala Municipal Corporation (MC) virtually donned the role of the police and bulldozed the house of a known heroin smuggler in the Gandhi camp area, notorious for housing several drug runners.

This afternoon, more than 300 people gathered at the Gandhi camp after news spread that the house of smuggler Jeewan Kumar would be demolished using a JCB machine.

MC Commissioner and Batala SDM Vikramjeet Singh Panthey, SSP Suhail Qasim Mir and top officers of the Batala police were present when the JCB razed the house leading to an uproar. However, officials and workers of the MC went ahead and continued with their demolition drive despite people protesting.

Jeewan Kumar had three cases of NDPS Act registered against him in various police stations of Punjab. Sources say Jeewan Kumar was on the police radar for quite some time. Police sources say they could not demolish the house just because he was a drug smuggler “as we have no power to do so.” “That is why we sounded the MC which went ahead and did the job,” said the officer who preferred anonymity.

MC sources say based on the recommendations of the Batala police, eight more houses are to be razed in the coming weeks after all the relevant paperwork are completed and technical aspects are taken care of.