Cops procure orders to freeze woman drug peddler’s assets

Following a financial investigation into the assets of a habitual woman drug peddler, Gurmeshi Devi, a resident of Chhanni, the Nurpur district police have procured orders to freeze her movable and immovable properties worth Rs 90.71 lakh.

The designated NDPS court-cum-competent authority, New Delhi, has issued the orders for freezing the properties that have been already seized by the police. The action against the drug smuggler has been taken under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act.

As per police information, Gurmeshi Devi was arrested by the Damtal police in October 2019 with 5.62 heroin and a case under Sections 21-61-85 of the NPDS Act was registered against her. The court had convicted her on February 24 this year and sentenced her to 10-year rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 1 lakh.

Being a repeat drug peddling offender, the police had registered three different cases against her under the NDPS Act in May 2021, April 2023 and December 2023. The Dharamsala police had also registered a case against her in March 2023 and the Nurpur police in May 2020. Despite multiple cases under the NDPS Act, Gurmeshi Devi continued with her illegal activities in the area.

Nurpur SP Ashok Ratan told The Tribune that during the investigation, the district police seized her properties worth Rs 90,71,862, including two houses at Chhanni and Badukhar villages, one Honda Activa, one Royal Enfield motorcycle, gold jewellary worth Rs 2.90 lakh and Rs 1.51 lahk drug money.