Nurpur police procure six-month detention of habitual drug peddler

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, April 10

In a bid to tighten the noose on habitual offenders in drug peddling cases, the Nurpur district police procured six-month detention of accused Puneet Mahajan, a resident of Raja ka Bagh in Nurpur.

A state advisory board — constituted under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (PIT-NDPS) Act, 1988 — after examining the records submitted by the Nurpur district police, extended detention of the drug peddling accused for six months.

ARRESTED 4 TIMES in 2021-23

• Puneet Mahajan, the alleged habitual drug peddling offender had been arrested thrice by the Nurpur police, and once by the Indora police from 2021 to 2023.
• During these arrests, 3017.6 gram charas (cannabis) and 24.47 gram chitta were recovered from his possession.
• A state advisory board — constituted under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (PIT-NDPS) Act, 1988 — after examining the records submitted by the Nurpur district police, extended the detention of the drug peddling accused for six months.
• His repeated arrests, registration of cases under the NDPS act, and recovery of contraband had failed to deter the offender from reportedly indulging in drug trafficking.

As per police information, the police had moved a proposal to Secretary (Home)-cum-Detention Authority under the PIT-NDPS act on November 15 last year to detain Mahajan due to his alleged involvement in multiple NDPS cases, wherein charas and heroin (chitta) were recovered from his possession.

The Secretary (Home)-cum-Detention Authority had issued a detention order against the accused on January 4 under section 3 (1) of the PIT-NDPS Act.

INITIALLY GRANTED 3-MONTH DETENTION

Initially, the detention authority had confirmed the obtaining of a detention order for three months in jail against the habitual offender. However, now, after pleading the case, the advisory board has issued a detention order for six months against him. —Ashok Ratan, SP, Nurpur

The primary objective of the PIT-NDPS Act is preventive detention in order to prevent illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in the state. It establishes stringent measures to control and regulate the production, distribution and sale of these substances.

While talking to The Tribune, Nurpur SP Ashok Ratan said it was the first case across the state in which the advisory board of the Detention Authority had passed a detention order and extended detention of a habitual offender for six months.

Five more cases were being submitted to the authority, he said, adding that detention orders would prove to be an effective weapons to nail drug traffickers in the inter-state border district.

“Initially, the authority had confirmed the obtaining of a detention order for three months in jail against the habitual offender. However, now, after pleading the case, the advisory board has issued a detention order for six months against him,” he said.

It is pertinent to note that the alleged habitual drug peddling offender had been arrested thrice by the Nurpur police, and once by the Indora police from 2021 to 2023. During these arrests, 3017.6 gram charas (cannabis) and 24.47 gram chitta were recovered from his possession.

His repeated arrests, registration of cases under the NDPS act, and recovery of contraband had failed to deter the offender from reportedly indulging in drug trafficking.

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