Curbing drug use at Dasehra festival a challenge for cops

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, October 18

With a huge rush of tourists and over 200 deities and their followers camping in the town, it has become a challenge for the police to curb drug trade during Kullu Dasehra at Dhalpur ground here.

Drug peddlers take advantage of the situation, as the police remain busy providing security to VIPs and maintaining law and order, during the week-long festival.

The drug peddlers become active and transport illicit produce of Charas out of Kullu district, during this time.

Long traffic jams between Bhunter and Ramshila is a common sight during Dasehra, which keep the police busy managing traffic movement.

According to sources, many drug peddlers even use camps of deities for safe trade of narcotics during this period, which renders the task of the police to crackdown on them challenging.

Charas is cultivated in the remote areas of Banjar, Manikaran, Malana, Nagar, Manali, Anni and the Nirmand area of the district and a large quantity of contraband is seized from the area every year.

All deities are expected to arrive at Dhalpur ground till Friday evening to witness the event and pay obeisance to the chief deity of Dasehra, Lord Raghunath.

Kullu SP Shalini Agnihotri said she was aware of the drug menace and the strategy adopted by the drug peddlers here.

It was true that during Dasehra, there was pressure on the police to maintain law and order, besides providing security to the VIPs.

“To deal with the drug peddlers, the police have set up additional nakas at key locations in the district, where vehicles will be checked diligently. This year, we are using sniffer dogs to detect drug peddlers. This is the first time that the police will be using sniffer dogs to nab drug offenders during Kullu Dasehra”, she remarked.

She said two mobile units had also been engaged to track down drug traffickers.

Camps of deities used for trade

• Drug peddlers become active and supply charas out of Kullu district during this time
• They take advantage as the police remain busy providing security to VIPs and maintaining law and order
• Many drug peddlers use camps of deities as safe haven for trade of narcotics 

Sniffer dogs to trace offenders

The police have set up nakas at key locations, where vehicles will be checked. This year, we are using sniffer dogs to trace drug peddlers. This is the first time that the police will be using sniffer dogs during Kullu Dasehra. — Shalini Agnihotri, SP, Kullu