Punjab adopts ‘bulldozer’ model: House of woman drug peddler demolished in Patiala

Close on the heels of the ‘bulldozer’ model in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, in a crackdown on drug peddlers, the Punjab Government has demolished the house of a woman drug peddler, Rinki, in Patiala’s Rori Kut Mohalla Lakkad Mandi. This action follows a similar demolition of houses of two drug smugglers in Ludhiana earlier this week.

The Patiala police, led by SSP Nanak Singh, carried out the demolition. Rinki faces over 10 FIRs registered under the NDPS Act between 2016 and 2023. The police have been conducting raids to arrest her, as she has been evading arrest for several months.

Nanak Singh said the house was constructed using money earned from selling drugs. The nearby vicinity has some drug peddlers, and a heavy police force was deployed to prevent any law and order problems.

Earlier, on Monday, the Ludhiana police team led by Police Commissioner Kuldeep Singh Chahal demolished illegal properties of two drug peddlers, Sonu and Rahul Hans, as part of the state government’s war on drugs. The police have also attached the properties of the drug dealers.

The Punjab Government has announced a crackdown on drug abuse in the state. The district administrations have been instructed to ensure the availability of adequate rehabilitation and de-addiction facilities. A five-member cabinet committee has been formed to oversee the actions of the police and health departments in addressing and curbing drug addiction.