2 women held with 100g heroin

In a significant crackdown against the rising drug menace in Himachal Pradesh, Bhuntar police arrested two women and recovered 100 gm of chitta (heroin) during a raid in Mashgan village of Bhuntar subdivision on Friday. Acting on a confidential tip-off, the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) conducted the raid at the residence of Girija Sharma, where both the heroin and cash amounting to Rs 49,590 were found.

The two arrested women have been identified as 36-year-old Girija Sharma, the homeowner, and 21-year-old Rajni, a resident of Manani village in Banjar subdivision. The police have booked both under the relevant provisions of the NDPS Act.

Kullu Superintendent of Police Karthikeyan Gokulachandran confirmed the arrests and said interrogation is underway to trace the origin of the drugs and uncover the broader supply network. He reiterated the district police’s commitment to dismantling such drug cartels and ensuring the safety of the community.

This arrest is part of a larger pattern that has emerged in the past one and a half months. Authorities have registered 12 drug trafficking cases, seizing a total of 281.70 gm of chitta and arresting 16 individuals — 13 men and 3 women. Several of these arrests have occurred in the Kullu-Manali belt, a region increasingly used as a corridor for drug trafficking.

Earlier on June 2, a Kullu resident was nabbed with 50 gm of chitta while travelling on a Volvo bus from Amritsar to Manali. The arrest was made near Thalot in Mandi district. On May 26, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) caught a youth from Punjab with 44.92 gm of heroin from a rented room on Gompa Road in Manali. Just a few days before that, two individuals were intercepted at the 16 Mile stretch of the Kullu-Manali National Highway with 58 gm of heroin. Even more shocking was the arrest of a 14-year-old boy from Punjab on May 20, who was found carrying 24.70 gm of chitta at the Green Tax Barrier in Prini, Manali.

The increasing involvement of women and minors in the drug trade has sparked serious concern among locals. Social activist Abhishek Rai voiced the growing public frustration and called for stronger action against drug kingpins. He stressed that while catching peddlers is necessary, it is equally important to dismantle the entire network that supports this illicit trade. He warned that without decisive action, the community could face devastating consequences.