Women in Fatehabad town staged a protest on Friday against the police administration, accusing the Station House Officer (SHO) of Goindwal Sahib police station of failing to curb the open sale of drugs in the Khadoor Sahib constituency. The demonstration, held near the Fatehabad police outpost, drew dozens of women who demanded strict action against drug peddlers and negligent officers.
Allegations of Police Negligence
Addressing the gathering, eight women—Sukhwinder Kaur, Kashmir Kaur, Amarjit Kaur, Balwinder Kaur, Kawaljit Kaur, Karam Kaur, Manjit Kaur, and Shinder Kaur—stated that the police were fully aware of the drug trade in Fatehabad but had taken no effective action. They claimed that many young people from the area had lost their lives to drug abuse, and several families had been devastated by the menace. The protesters blamed police inaction for worsening the situation, compelling them to take to the streets.
According to the protesters, the poor performance of the SHO had emboldened drug smugglers. They demanded that the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) take strict action against both negligent officers and those involved in drug trafficking.
Police Response
When contacted, SHO Baljit Kaur dismissed the allegations, calling the protest politically motivated. She did not provide a detailed response to the specific claims raised by the women.
SSP Surinder Lamba stated that the police administration would not tolerate negligence by any officer in dealing with drug-related cases. He added that appropriate action would be taken after hearing the concerns and demands of the protesters.
Protest Ends After Assurance
During the protest, SHO Baljit Kaur met with the women and attempted to persuade them to end their dharna. After assuring them that strict action would be taken against drug smugglers, she invited the protesters for talks at the Fatehabad police outpost. Following the discussions and the assurance of action, the protesters called off the dharna.
