Residents of Ram Basti in Ward No. 17 on Jaito Road in Kotkapura took to an unusual protest on Sunday by putting up flex boards and posters outside their homes, declaring them for sale. The move was in response to what they claim is an unchecked drug trade in the locality and police inaction.
Posters Highlight Alleged Police Negligence
The posters, written in Punjabi, read: “This house is for sale because no action has been taken by police against drug traffickers in this locality.” Each poster also includes the name of the respective house owner. Of the approximately 50 to 55 households in the locality, nearly 20 have already displayed such posters.
Residents have expressed their willingness to sell their houses even at half the market price if it ensures a safer future for their children away from the shadow of narcotics.
Police Deny Drug Angle
Kotkapura DSP Sanjeev Kumar, however, denied the drug angle altogether. He stated that the matter stemmed from a dispute between two parties, one of which had been demanding that stringent criminal sections be invoked against two brothers allegedly involved in drug trafficking. According to the DSP, the complainant side projected the issue as one related to drugs to mount pressure on the accused.
Residents including Sukha Singh, Manish Pathak, and Veena alleged that the two brothers had been openly running a ‘chitta’ trade in the locality for a long time. They claimed NDPS cases were already registered against the duo, yet they continued to operate with impunity and allegedly threatened residents who spoke against them. Residents also alleged that a physical altercation had recently taken place following such opposition.
The DSP said police cases against alleged drug peddlers in the area had increased nearly four times over the past year, adding that had drugs been sold openly in the locality, police would have acted on their own.
