The North News
Ludhiana/Chandigarh, June 15
Two houses allegedly built using drug money were demolished in Ludhiana on Sunday as part of Punjab’s ongoing war on narcotics. The demolitions come under the state’s flagship anti-drug campaign, Yudh Nashian Virudh, launched on the instructions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Municipal Corporation teams carried out the operations in coordination with the Ludhiana Commissionerate Police, as part of a wider policy targeting criminals’ assets.
Special DGP (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla confirmed that 126 such properties have been razed since 1 March this year. “This campaign is not just about arresting drug offenders. It is also about dismantling their financial empires,” Shukla said.
In the first case, authorities bulldozed the home of an alleged trafficker named Gurpal, located on Street No. 2, Amarpura. Police say Gurpal is a repeat offender with nine NDPS Act cases against him. He is currently absconding and believed to be hiding in Himachal Pradesh. The operation was overseen by Ludhiana Commissioner of Police Swapan Sharma, along with senior officers from the town planning department.
In the second case, a house belonging to Rajinder Kaur, also known as Rozy, was demolished in Hero Suman Nagar in the Lohara area. Kaur, who is currently lodged in jail, has two cases registered under the NDPS Act.
Commissioner Sharma stated that both operations were carried out after following due legal process. “The demolitions were conducted smoothly, with cooperation from local residents,” he said. The campaign reflects the Punjab government’s growing emphasis on targeting the financial roots of drug trafficking, beyond traditional arrests.
