Opposition Leader Condemns FIR Against Women's Anti-Drug Patrol
Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur has launched a scathing attack on the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, labeling the filing of a police case against members of a women's group combating drugs as "shameful." The controversy erupted after the Bilaspur police registered an FIR against the Mahila Mandal of Laghat village on December 25, 2025.
The women's group had recently initiated night patrols in their village to curb the rampant drug menace. The FIR was lodged following an incident where the group allegedly roughed up and wrongfully restrained three youths on suspicion of drug peddling.
Details of the Incident and Police Action
According to police reports, the members of the Mahila Mandal detained the three young men. Subsequently, a police team from the nearby Barmana police station conducted an intensive frisking. However, no contraband was found in the possession of the detained youths.
The police have registered a case under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation, wrongful restraint, defamation, rioting, unlawful assembly, and criminal conspiracy. Police sources indicated that the FIR comprises bailable offences, and no arrests have been made so far.
Laghat village, which falls under the Barmana gram panchayat in Bilaspur district, is among the 247 panchayats in Himachal Pradesh identified as most sensitive to drug abuse, particularly to the heroin variant known as 'chitta'.
Thakur Leads Protest, Accuses Government of 'Showmanship'
Addressing a protest organized by the Bilaspur BJP unit against the rising "terror of drugs" in the state, Jairam Thakur strongly criticized the government's action. He led a protest march from Bilaspur's main market to the office of Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar and submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister demanding the immediate withdrawal of the cases against the women.
"Young people are dying on roads due to drug overdoses. The situation is horrifying, yet instead of acting against drug dealers, the government is targeting women who are raising their voices against drugs," Thakur stated. He accused the government of resorting to "event management and showmanship" instead of taking concrete action against traffickers.
He questioned why the police failed to act on prior information provided by the women about drug activities, pointing to used syringes commonly found in village bushes as evidence of the problem. "Why are women being forced to patrol villages to protect their families? This is a failure of governance," he asserted.
Allegations of Poor Coordination and Questionable Intent
Thakur contrasted the current administration's approach with that of his previous BJP government. He claimed his administration had coordinated with neighbouring states to curb trafficking, holding joint meetings with Chief Ministers and senior officials. "In the last three years of the present government, not a single such coordination meeting has been held," he alleged.
He also criticized a recent anti-drug walkathon in Bilaspur, alleging that BJP MLAs from the district were not invited, while individuals accused of drug-related activities were present on the stage. He emphasized that those genuinely fighting drugs should be supported, not criminally charged.
Meanwhile, Pinki Sharma, the pradhan of Mahila Mandal Laghat, told The Indian Express that the FIR was registered without recording their version during the initial inquiry. She explained that the group had intervened when the complainant and his accomplices were assaulting a youth in the village. They called the police, and the complainant's family later pleaded for forgiveness. The group was shocked to later discover an FIR had been filed against them. They have met with SP Sandeep Dhawal but have received no further communication from the police.
