Jalandhar: Police’s Anti-Drug Campaign Continues; Two Youths Admitted to De-addiction Centre

Jalandhar: Under the leadership of SSP Jalandhar Rural, Harvinder Singh Virk, a special initiative has been launched in the Mehatpur area as part of the ‘Yudh Nashiyan Virudh’ (War Against Drugs) campaign. Its objective is to combat drug addiction and promote the rehabilitation of drug users. Under this initiative, the Jalandhar Rural Police today admitted two youths to a de-addiction center. Furthermore, the police clarified that no legal action would be taken against individuals who voluntarily come forward to seek treatment. It is noteworthy that a series of recent drug-related deaths in Mehatpur had shaken the entire region. The Tribune newspaper covered these incidents in detail, following which the police intensified their anti-drug campaign in the area. Prior to this, a CASO (Combing and Search Operation) was also conducted in Mehatpur on March 11 under the leadership of SSP Jalandhar Rural, Harvinder Singh Virk. During this operation, the police registered four FIRs, arrested five individuals, and recovered 74 narcotic pills.
During the campaign conducted today, DSP Shahkot Sub-division, Sukhpal Singh—along with SHO Mehatpur Police Station, Labh Singh, and SHO Shahkot Police Station, Balwinder Singh Bhullar—appealed to the local residents to actively cooperate in efforts aimed at the treatment and rehabilitation of those struggling with drug addiction. DSP Shahkot stated that, with the cooperation of Gurjit Singh (Sarpanch of village Kemwal) and the local community, several youths battling drug addiction have voluntarily come forward to seek treatment. He also appealed to all Sarpanches, social workers, and respected members of society to provide information to the police regarding individuals suffering from drug addiction in their respective villages, so that they may receive timely medical assistance and rehabilitation support. The police reiterated that no legal action would be initiated against those who voluntarily step forward to undergo treatment. The DSP stated that the objective of this campaign is not to punish offenders, but rather to rehabilitate drug users, facilitate their recovery, and reintegrate them into society.

Furthermore, he added that if anyone possesses information regarding drug trafficking in their locality, they can share it by sending a message to the ‘Safe Punjab’ (anti-drug helpline) number: 9779100200. The identity of the informant will be kept strictly confidential. Significantly, the measures recently adopted and the campaigns launched against narcotics in Mehatpur were initiated following the deaths of three individuals. The first of these victims was Mahinder Singh, the Sarpanch of Bute Dian Chanan village, who succumbed to injuries sustained in late February; he had been attacked by several drug traffickers after they discovered that he had provided information about them to the police. The other two deaths were allegedly cases of drug overdoses—the body of Vansh, a former Kabaddi player and resident of Udhowal village, was discovered on Baloki Khera Road, located 3 kilometers from Udhowal; similarly, Anmol, a resident of Khurampur village, also reportedly died on March 10 due to a drug overdose. The police emphasized that the primary objective of these initiatives launched against narcotics is to guide affected individuals toward a healthy and dignified life through appropriate medical care and rehabilitation.