Mangaluru youth top targets of drug mafia
Mangaluru: People accused of buying and selling of illegal drugs were on Monday paraded at the District Police Ground by the office of the Commissioner of Police, the paraded however made it more evident than ever that youngsters are the primary targets of the drugs mafia. A majority of those who were paraded on Monday were either youngsters or middle-aged men.
Since 2016, the local police has issued show-cause notices to 180 individuals accused of dealing and trafficking drugs. The number of individuals present during Monday’s parade was 90, of which 6 were students.
The Police officers and staff spoke to each accused individual in a separate one-on-one session, where their details were collected, and were warned. Police CCB Inspector Shivaprakash R Naik and other officials addressed the accused youngsters separately and advised them to live a better life while staying away from drug-related activities. Police Commissioner Vikash Kumar conducted the inquiry and warned the accused that if they persisted in such activities again, they would be charged under the Goonda Act and prosecuted under law.
Rowdy-sheeters can be easily identified. After locating their whereabouts, they will be asked to come and made to stand in a parade. But, those who are accused in cases of dealing drugs tend to change the contact numbers that they registered at the police station. From their place of residence, they were located and asked to come. The police personnel said that in the last two days, information about the accused were collected, after which they were brought to the department.
Most criminal cases Related to drugs!
According to the police, most of the criminal cases involved drugs. It has been observed that under the influence of drugs and other narcotic substances, many criminal activities are carried out without any guilt or hesitation. While drugs are used for recreational purposes that lead to addiction, on one hand, they also lead the consumer to commit crimes.
LSD at parties, tablets for students!
In Mangaluru, most drug-related cases are associated with marijuana usage. In a most recent case, 132kg of marijuana was seized. In the city, students are dealt with drugs almost always in the form of tablets. Similarly, pubs and parties are supplied with LSDs. Cannabis is usually supplied to the youngsters working as daily wage workers and labourers, while College students are supplied with Cocaine, MDMA, and charas. Mangaluru City CCB Inspector Shivaprakash R Naik also said that along with the consumption of drugs like Ganja, Cocaine, Marijuana, Brown Sugar, and Heroine, some are also addicted to sniffing Whiteners for their heady smell.
There are allegations that postal stamp-shaped LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) is being supplied from abroad. Drugs are being supplied to Mangaluru from other states. Police Commissioner Vikash Kumar also says that the allegation of drugs being supplied from overseas is undeniable. The LSD drug is synthetically made from acid and it is almost impossible for anyone to notice. This postal stamp-shaped drug is packed using many colorful and captivating cartoon images. The psychedelic effect of these drugs lasts about 12 hours. Experts say that addicts believe the illusion that these drugs offer a kind of happiness.
Break Made During Lockdown!
According to the Mangaluru City Police Commissioner, they made headway and received a break about narcotics trafficking in April and May, during the Corona lockdown in the city. In February of 2020, six cases were registered in Mangaluru City Police Commissionerate and nine were arrested. In these cases, a total of 21.89 grams of MDM and 1.064 kg of marijuana combined amounted to drugs worth Rs 1, 15,650. Other Valuable drugs were also seized during that operation. In March, with the arrest of four accused in three cases, (valued at Rs 42,000) 2.700 grams of marijuana were seized.
In June, when the lockdown was being relaxed Police seized 410 grams of marijuana and 14 grams of marijuana hashish oil. Two of the accused were arrested in both cases. In July, 9 people were arrested in 3 cases, while the police seized 2.696 kg of marijuana (valued at Rs 85,000).
Massive Quantity of Drugs Seized In August!
In August 2020, the Mangaluru city police commissioner's jurisdiction seized drugs valued at Rs. 37, 75,300. This includes 153 MDMA Pills, 8.25 grams of MDMA Pills, and 139.336 kg of marijuana were seized and nine individuals were arrested in four cases.
Among the 90 accused, 6 are students
Since January 2019, 20 cases of drug trafficking, supply and consumption have been reported. In the last two months, 10 cases have been registered. In a recent drug bust, 132kg of marijuana was seized. Today, out of 180 individuals convicted of drug trafficking and supply cases who were expected and only 90 showed up before the police. Among the ones that did show up, six are students.
-Vikas Kumar, Commissioner, Mangalore Police Commissioner
Bags of marijuana found among sacks of bananas
Recently, three bags containing marijuana were found in a vehicle carrying banana granules that were being supplied from Kerala. Inside the vehicle, the bags carrying marijuana were placed between the sacks containing the bananas. There were over 30kg of marijuana which costs around Rs 40 lakh. During the last two months of the lock-down, the supply of narcotics had all but stopped, but it began immediately after the end of lock-down. Reportedly, drugs are also trafficked via the rail route to the city.
-Shivaprakash R. Naik,Inspector, CCB, Mangaluru.
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Chhattisgarh Vedanta power plant blast: Death toll rises to 20; sixteen workers undergoing treatment
Sakti (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): The death toll in a blast at the Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh's Sakti district has mounted to 20 with seven more workers succumbing to injuries, while 16 others are undergoing treatment at different hospitals, officials said on Wednesday.
The deceased include six labourers from West Bengal, five from Chhattisgarh, three each from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, two from Bihar, and one from Madhya Pradesh.
The opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The explosion occurred on Tuesday afternoon in a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine at the Vedanta Ltd power plant located in Singhitarai village, leaving several workers with severe burn injuries.
According to officials, four workers died on the spot, while nine others succumbed to injuries soon after the incident.
Seven more workers have died in hospitals, raising the toll to 20, Sakti Collector Amrit Vikas Topno told PTI on Wednesday.
He said that a total of 36 workers were affected in the blast, and 20 of them died.
"Of the 16 injured workers, five are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Raipur, while 11 others are in hospitals of Raigarh, the neighbouring district of Sakti," he added.
Topno added that every possible effort was being made to provide the best medical treatment to the injured.
The deceased were identified, and their family members are being contacted. Arrangements have been made to transport the mortal remains to their native villages via ambulance following the postmortem examination and to provide immediate financial assistance, he said.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each deceased worker and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
Vedanta Power has also announced a Rs 35 lakh compensation for the family of each deceased worker, along with employment support.
The company will also provide Rs 15 lakh to each injured person, ensure salary continuation until recovery, and offer counselling support, a statement from the plant management said.
The chief minister has ordered an inquiry by the Commissioner of the Bilaspur division, assuring strict action against the guilty.
He directed officials to ensure free and proper medical treatment for all injured and emphasised that no negligence in their care would be tolerated.
The district administration has also ordered a separate magisterial probe, while the company has initiated its own internal investigation.
Collector Topno has appointed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Dabhra to conduct the magisterial inquiry.
The SDM has been asked to submit a report within 30 days covering key aspects, including the cause of the accident, whether it was due to technical or human error, and details of safety inspections carried out at the plant.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
State Congress communication wing head Sushil Anand Shukla on Wednesday alleged negligence on the plant management's part and accused the government of attempting to shield those responsible.
He also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the deceased and Rs 50 lakh for the injured.
The construction of a 1,200 MW coal-based thermal power project (two units of 600 MW each) in Singhitarai, originally owned by Athena Chhattisgarh Power Ltd, started in 2009, but remained stalled between 2016 and 2022.
Vedanta acquired the plant in 2022, after which a 600 MW unit was completed and commissioned in August last year, while the second unit is still under construction.
The deceased have been identified as Amrit Lal Patel, Thanda Ram Lahre, Udhab Singh Yadav, Rameshwar Mahilange, and Nadeem Ansari (all from Chhattisgarh); Susanta Jana, Sheikh Saifuddin, Manas Giri, Kailash Mahto, Shibnath Murmu, and Dipankar Singh (West Bengal), Tarun Kumar Ojha, Abdul Karim and Ashok Parhiya (Jharkhand), Raju Ram, Pappu Kumar and Brijesh Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Aakib Khan and Ritesh Kumar (Bihar), and Chitranjan Dhulai of Madhya Pradesh, officials said.
