Madangir: Hub of drugs, spurious liquor

Prateek Chauhan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 5

Shayam Singh (49), resident of H Block Madangir,  and an addict of spurious liquor, died on Dec 3, leaving behind two sons, wife and mother.

Sanjay Meena, a carpenter and an addict of spurious liquor, was admitted to Safdurjung Hospital a day ago for consuming spurious liquor. Doctors advised him to not take even a single drop of the liquor or it will be his last day.

Not  only these few, but hundreds are getting addicted to spurious liquor supplied here. Despite knowing that their consumption is unsafe for them, they continue to consume it. Consequently, many have lost their lives too.

Name any drugs — heroin, charas, cannabis (marijuana) — and spurious liquor: all are available round the clock without any fear of the police. The illegal business is being run just few hundred meters away from Crime Branch office situated at Pushp Vihar Sector-3 across the road. As per residents, the spurious alcohol is vastly supplied from near Madangir Government Maternity Center. 

If one walks after 12 midnight at these places, youths are seen buying drugs without any fear of police because the entire street is being protected by the criminals involved in the business.

Mahender Kumar (name changed), a jeweller, says, "a community of Sri Lankan refugees along with Indian Tamilian live in the area for last 40 years and they are around over 70-80 families, who run the business of the drugs and spurious liquor and satta (gambling). The only business that is not happening here is flesh trade. These families are selling the venom to the residents of Madangir, Dakshinpuri, Khanpur Jhuggi, Sanjay Camp and Subhash Camp.”

The drink sold here cost from Rs 10. Anyone is allowed to sit at these homes and drink.

Madhuri, who sells spurious liquor, says, "here we supply all type of English, country-made and Haryana liquor. It's customer's choice to buy what they require. No one has forced them to come here. And, it is not only me who sell these liquors. Still, I only sell liquor. Everyone here sell both liquor and drugs. To sell drugs, one has to pay huge amount to the beat officer."

To this, O P Thakur, SHO Ambedkar Nagar, says, "I am unaware of heroine and party drugs being supplied here but illegal liquor and Marijuana are being supplied and many times we have arrested the persons involved. As they are caught with less quantity of drugs, they are set free by courts in short time and they again come back into the business.

"Ambedkar Nagar Police Station with a strength of 130 personnel and a shortage of 40-45, has to look after a population of around 7.5 lakh. We have to keep a vigil round the clock. At times, I have advised the individuals involved to change the business and start a new life, but they say it is their family business and they have nothing else to do except this," the SHO added.