Repeat offenders held

Acting on a tip-off, Damtal police under Nurpur police district raided a house in Chhanni village last evening and recovered 12.98 gm of heroin (chitta) from a couple involved in drug peddling. The arrested individuals have been identified as Asha Devi and her husband Mithun, alias Chapar. A case has been registered against them under Sections 21, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act.

Nurpur SP Ashok Ratan stated that preliminary investigations revealed the couple are habitual offenders, already facing multiple trials under the NDPS Act. He said Asha Devi has had two prior NDPS cases registered against her by Damtal police, following heroin seizures in February 2020 and January 2022.

Her husband Mithun has an even longer history, with three NDPS cases filed against him — one by Mamoon police in Pathankot district in May 2014 and two by Indora police in Kangra district in July 2015 and December 2016.

Despite multiple arrests and drug recoveries, the couple has resumed illegal activities after securing bail — a pattern that highlights how repeated legal action has so far failed to deter them.

SP Ratan said the district police are now focusing on financial investigations and will initiate legal proceedings under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic (PIT) NDPS Act, a stringent law enacted by the Centre to curb the trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances across the country.