Three NDPS convictions shake Nurpur drug mafia
In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking, the District Sessions Court has convicted three habitual drug peddlers within a fortnight, sending a strong message to the drug mafia operating in the interstate Nurpur police district. The district police, following a professional strategy, have intensified their efforts against drug smugglers, particularly heroin (chitta) peddlers, ensuring that habitual offenders are put behind bars.
As per information obtained by The Tribune, the first conviction was of Gurmeshi Devi from Chhanni village under Damtal police station. She was sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 1 lakh on February 24. Despite facing six NDPS trials from 2019 to 2023, this was her first conviction in a case registered in October 2019, when she was caught with 5.61 grams of chitta.
In the second conviction, the Principal Judge, Family Court (designated court), Dharamshala, sentenced Arpan Lodhi of Mohtali under Damtal police station to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh on March 6. Lodhi was convicted in an NDPS case from December 2020, when 60 gram of chitta were recovered from him. A habitual offender, he had three NDPS cases registered against him—two in Damtal and one in Dinanagar, Punjab.
The third conviction came on March 11, when the Additional District Sessions Court, Nurpur, sentenced Kansraj from Tamota village under Indora police station to five years of rigorous imprisonment and a Rs 50,000 fine. He was convicted in an NDPS case from February 2023, when Indora police arrested him with 7.79 gram of chitta. Declared a notorious drug smuggler, he has six NDPS cases registered against him between 2017 and 2023, with five still under trial.
Expressing satisfaction over these convictions, Nurpur SP Ashok Ratan emphasised their importance in the fight against the drug menace. He stated that swift convictions serve as a deterrent, preventing offenders from exploiting legal loopholes. “The convictions send a clear message—drug peddling will not go unpunished,” he said.
With the district police tightening the noose around habitual offenders, the drug mafia in the region is on high alert. The ongoing crackdown signals zero tolerance toward drug trafficking, reinforcing the administration’s commitment to curbing the menace.
