Faridkot students grill cops on drug menace, claim kingpins still free

Students raised incisive questions about the police department’s effectiveness in tackling the drug menace in the region at a police-public contact programme at Government Brijindra College here.

The session was attended by IG, Faridkot range, Nilambari Jagdale and SSP Pragya Jain, who spoke with students to encourage public participation in the fight against narcotics.

The interaction took a serious turn when some students questioned why the drug supply chain continued to operate despite repeated claims of strict police action. Some of them alleged that individuals with political or police backing often managed to evade legal consequences.

Students also asked why major drug kingpins remained at large while, according to them, action was frequently limited to arresting petty consumers. They further questioned how the supply of narcotics was continuing despite heavy patrolling and intensified enforcement drives.

Responding to their concerns, SSP Jain acknowledged that the drug trade had evolved in recent years. She said traffickers had increasingly turned to advanced methods such as drone-based smuggling, prompting the government to instal anti-drone systems to counter the threat.

“The police are working without any external pressure. We are targeting every link in the chain — from the consumer to the supplier — to ultimately reach the kingpins. Our aim is not only to arrest offenders but also to rehabilitate users by sending them to de-addiction centres,” she said.

The SSP claimed that high quantities of narcotics had been seized in the district over the past year and firmly denied any leniency toward offenders due to political connections.

IG Jagdale emphasised that legal enforcement alone could not eliminate the drug problem. Referring to the Punjab Government’s “War Against Drugs” campaign, she stressed the importance of community involvement and awareness initiatives, including the Safe Punjab Anti-Drug Helpline.