Peddlers’ 3-storey house razed in Raikot
A three-storey house belonging to a notorious family of drug peddlers, headed by Amarjit Singh Pappa of Burj Hari Singh village, was demolished during a joint operation by the district administration and police on Tuesday. The family of four, including Pappa, his wife and their two sons, is allegedly facing 26 cases for drug peddling.
Police officials, led by SP (H) Parminder Singh Deol, Jagraon DSP Inderjit Singh Boparai and Raikot DSP Harjinder Singh provided security cover to the civil officials, who were led by duty magistrate Rakesh Gupta and BDPO Jaswinder Singh during the operation in which a bulldozer demolished major parts of the three-storey building which had reportedly been constructed on common land (shamlat) belonging to Burj Hari Singh
village panchayat.
The Punjab Government last Thursday had assured the Punjab and Haryana High Court that due process of law would be followed before initiating coercive steps, including demolition of immovable property, against accused in drug peddling cases. Assurance was given in response to a notice received from the court on the matter.
Keeping in line with this, as none of the members of the family were present on the occasion except Pappa’s mother, Avtar Kaur, she was asked if she could present any stay orders or documents to prohibit the demolition, but she failed to do so, following which the demolition was conducted.
Pappa has been absconding since the government initiated the coercive process to demolish the immovable property that was built on the land of the panchayat. Pappa’s wife, Sony Kaur, slipped before the administration launched the demolition process today.
Ludhiana (Rural) SSP Dr Ankur Gupta said Amarjit Singh Pappa and other members of his family were facing 26 cases related to drug peddling. The building was bulldozed by following the standard process of law, claimed Dr Gupta.
