Punjab: Locals begin patrolling to stop drug smuggling

Groups of local residents have been seeing patrolling the area at night to stop the drug supply.

Bhatinda: Common people and police have now come face to face in Bhatinda on the issue of drug smuggling in the district. Groups of local residents have been seeing patrolling the area at night to stop the drug supply, however, police have said that it is against the law as it is their work to conduct investigation.

In rural areas, along with men, women and children were also forced to patrol the streets late at night to catch drug smugglers. In Bathinda, women are keeping a night vigil. “Drug smuggling is taking place secretly. There is a lot of cheating going on. This is the work of the government, if they want, can shut down this smuggling in a minute but they are not doing so. Drug smugglers supply drugs at night. Police do not take any action, hence the villagers have started a campaign of blockade and patrolling at night,” a woman from the Bhatinda said.

However, Bhatinda Range ADGP, Surinderpal Singh Parmar has said that nobody has the right to take the law in their hand. It is the Police’s duty to investigate anyone.

“Nobody is allowed to take the law in their hands. If you are fond of stopping and searching people by creating blockades, then join the police. Action will be taken against unnecessarily stopping and searching people at night,” he said.

He further said that people being searched unnecessarily, is wrong. “This is the job of the police, it is the job of the people to inform the police and not to take the law into their own hands.” However, the locals say this effort is needed to keep a check on rampant drug smuggling.

“People from outside villages come here and smuggle drugs, which gives a bad name. To stop them, we have formed a committee so that people can be shown the right direction. We only interrogate, only those on whom we have complete suspicion are searched” a local resident of Bhatinda said.