Village unites to oust medical store accused of selling addictive pills

In a major stir in Jandwala Jatan — a village officially declared drug-free — angry residents on Friday locked up a local medical store, accusing its owner of selling addictive pills. The confrontation sparked a scuffle between villagers and the shop owner’s supporters before the matter reached Odhan police station.

According to locals, the store, run by a youth from Rajpura near the village gurdwara, had allegedly been selling illegal drugs, disturbing the peace. Tensions escalated after the recent death of a young man, allegedly due to drug use. On the day of his bhog ceremony at the gurdwara, villagers confronted the store owner.

Sarpanch representative Sardool Singh, along with other residents, demanded closure of the shop. When the owner refused and allegedly abused the sarpanch’s representative, the argument turned heated. Villagers then locked the shop, prompting the owner to call his friends. A physical clash broke out within the gurdwara premises, after which the owner and his supporters fled.

Police from Dial 112 rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. The District Drug Control Officer later inspected the store but reported finding no banned drugs. Despite this, villagers issued a two-day ultimatum to the owner to vacate the premises or face further action.

Residents, led by Sardool Singh and other panchayat members, lodged a complaint with the police. They asserted that, irrespective of the inspection outcome, the store had tarnished the village’s reputation, which has long battled drug abuse.

Singh said a meeting of all local medical store owners and practitioners has been called to warn them of strict action if caught selling addictive substances. “The people of Jandwala Jatan are united against drugs,” he said. “We won’t let our village slip back into that dark phase again.”