House of habitual offender built on govt land sealed
In a strong message to drug cartels operating in the inter-state Nurpur police district, authorities sealed the house of habitual offender Neeraj Kumar, alias Cobra, in Golwan village, Fatehpur subdivision. The operation, conducted on Tuesday evening, was carried out in the presence of revenue officials following a financial investigation. It was revealed that Cobra had constructed his house on government land.
Cobra, a repeat offender under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, has been arrested multiple times with contraband. He was first apprehended on March 23, 2021, with 112.89 gram of hashish, followed by an arrest on April 19, 2023, with 38.40 gram of heroin. Most recently, he was caught on October 26, 2023, with 50.46 gram of heroin. Despite legal actions, he continued his drug trade.
According to Nurpur SP Ashok Ratan, Cobra’s criminal record prompted the police to initiate a financial probe. On November 18, 2023, a proposal recommending his detention under the PIT NDPS Act was sent to the Secretary (Home). Subsequently, the Himachal Pradesh government issued detention orders, and Cobra was detained on March 23, 2024. His detention was later extended by two months by the State Advisory Board, headed by a High Court justice. After serving five months under the PIT NDPS Act, Cobra was recently released on bail.
This marks Nurpur police district as the first in the state to submit two proposals to the Advisory Committee for detaining repeat offenders. The move underscores the district’s proactive stance against habitual drug offenders.
In a separate incident, the Damtal police raided a house in Mohtali on Wednesday, recovering 21.72 grams of heroin. Two individuals, house owner Malki Rani and her sister Renu Bala, were arrested under Section 21 of the NDPS Act. Renu Bala is a resident of Sujanpur, Pathankot.
The Nurpur police’s intensified crackdown on drug trafficking highlights their commitment to tackling the menace of narcotics in the region.
