PADAMPUR POLICE FACE PROTEST FOR HARASSMENT AGAINST ANTI-DRUG ACTIVISTS

Raj Sadosh/Abohar.

A large number of men and women from the Padampur area arrived in Sriganganagar and staged a strong protest outside the Superintendent of Police (SP) office. They protested against the rise in drug abuse and the harassment by the police of those opposing it in Padampur area.

People gathered at Nehru Park and marched in a procession toward the SP office. BJP’s Scheduled Caste Morcha leader Rajkumar Kharod and Raj Kumar Bazigar, along with other speakers, recounted an incident where a drug-addicted youth allegedly raped an 8-year-old girl and attempted to kill her. They said that drug abuse has led to a spate of thefts, snatchings, robberies, and assaults in Padampur area. A network of narcotics has spread, and a large number of youths, having fallen prey to addiction, are engaging in criminal activities.

It was alleged that the police are harassing those who oppose drug abuse and drug traffickers. On the morning of August 13, the police illegally detained several individuals, including Rajkumar Kharod and Rajkumar Bazigar. These individuals had been demanding a crackdown on narcotics and traffickers following the incident involving the rape and attempted murder of the minor girl. The police summoned them from their homes and detained them at the police station ahead of the Chief Minister’s visit, complaints were recorded against them allegedly from those involved in trafficking themselves. The detained individuals were released on bail late in the evening on August 14.

A memorandum was submitted to Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Neelam Chaudhary on behalf of the community. She assured them that she would visit Padampur within two or three days to investigate the entire matter. The ASP said that police were committed to ending the drug menace.