Drug peddlers to be booked for culpable homicide, says DGP

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, September 12

The state government will book drug peddlers under Section 308 of the IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). DGP SR Mardi said this while talking to newspersons here today.

The DGP was here to review the law and order situation in lower areas of Himachal. Police officials from Una, Chamba and Kangra district participated at the meeting.

The DGP said besides the NDPS Act, Section 308 of the IPC would also be added against drug peddlers. This would be done to ensure that such peddlers get the harshest punishment.

There had been surge in the number of cases being registered under the NDPS Act in the state. The number of people arrested in drug cases had also increased. This indicated that despite strict rules, the peddlers were also increasing. In certain cases, the police had also confiscated properties of the drug peddlers, the DGP said.

“We are going to take strict measures to curb the menace as the northern part of the country is witnessing an upsurge in drug cases. So the cases related to synthetic drug will now be booked under Section 308 IPC,” said Mardi.

The police had formed committees to report on drug trade, but now the committees would be formed in panchayats and wards also, he said.

He said drug addiction was still a taboo and the families tend to hide it if their wards were addicted. If the families came forward to report regarding the drug abuse, it would be easier for the police to nab the people destroying the life of youths, he said.