District admn, police raze house of drug peddler at Bhorsi Rajputa village

The Amritsar (Rural) police and the district administration on Saturday demolished the house of notorious bootlegger and drug peddler, which he had constructed on the panchayat land in Bhorsi Rajputa village, falling under the Khalchian police station here.

According to the police, the entire family of Ranjodh Singh was allegedly involved in bootlegging and drug peddling.

Residents of the village said they had raised the issue of his nefarious activities with the district administration and sought action against him and his family as they had constructed house by encroaching over the panchayat land. However, nothing had happened until now, they said, while adding that today, the police and the district administration razed house of the drug peddler.

Speaking on the occasion, Maninder Singh, SSP, Amritsar (Rural), said the district administration had requested for security while demolishing the house on the encroached land.

He said four members of the family were bad characters having a number of criminal cases registered against them. “They had a total of 35 FIRs of different nature registered against them,” he said.

He said Ranjodh Singh, his father Jetha Singh, mother Paramjit Kaur and brothers Sukhjinder Singh and Baljinder Singh had various cases registered against them under the Arms Act, NDPS Act and Excise Act at various police stations in Punjab.

According to information, Jetha Singh has 14 cases, while his wife had six cases and two sons Sukhjinder and Baljinder had four cases each registered against them, the SSP said. Ranjodh had seven cases and majority of them were registered under the NDPS Act, he said

Sukhdev Singh, a resident of the village, said it was good to see the district administration and police take action against drug traffickers by identifying their properties for demolition.

A former village sarpanch said that the panchayat had written to the authorities a number of times, but it was today that officials had woken from their slumber.

Meanwhile, the Amritsar (Rural) police led by MF Farooqui, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), and Satinder Singh, DIG, Border Range, conducted cordon and search operation (CASO) in the Baba Bakala area.

Speaking on the occasion, the ADGP said since March 1 when the Punjab Police launched campaign “Yudh Nashian Virudh” the Amritsar (Rural) police had arrested 174 drug peddlers in connection with 92 FIRs registered against them. The police confiscated over 50 kg heroin, 10 pistols and other narcotic substances from their possession.

He said the Punjab Government had adopted a zero tolerance police against drug trafficking. He said under this campaign, houses of drug peddlers constructed with the ill-gotten money earned from the illegal trade would be razed after following all legal procedures.

He said the anti-drug campaign would continue till the end of this menace.