20.65 g ‘chitta’ seized from woman, son

A Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Chamba police on Saturday arrested a woman and her son after seizing 20.65 grams of ‘chitta’ (heroin) from their residence in the Sultanpur locality of Chamba town. The accused were identified as Vinita Mahajan and her son Aryan Mahajan.

On a tip-off, the police team raided the house of the suspected drug peddler, where the contraband was allegedly concealed. During search, the police also seized Rs 2.33 lakh in cash, 24 mobile phones, four QR codes, jewellery, foil papers and other material suspected to be linked to drug trafficking.

Additional SP Hitesh Lakhanpal said that the duo was arrested and booked under the NDPS Act. He added that they were under police scrutiny for the past many days and the seizure of "chitta" indicated the duo’s involvement in organised drug peddling.

Lakhanpal appealed to the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious movement in their neighbourhood. “The war against drugs is a collective fight. We urge people to come forward and share information about such elements so that strict action can be taken,” he added. He said the police had intensified surveillance and action against drug trafficking networks in the district as part of an ongoing crackdown. An investigation was underway, he added.