Girl under influence of drugs caught

The Khanna city police claimed to have caught a girl, who was found under the influence of drugs. A 22-year-old resident of Khanna city, she is likely to be shifted to the de-addiction centre for rehabilitation.

Station House Officer, Khanna City police station, inspector Vinod Kumar said on July 11, he, along with a police team, was conducting a patrolling at GK Enclave to keep tab over anti-social elements when the police noticed a girl. She was literally tottering on the road.

Suspecting something serious, the police team stopped the vehicle and asked the girl if she consumed some drugs. With the help of senior constable Binder Kaur, she was taken into police custody. A case under Sections 27, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act was registered against her.

The inspector said she was taken to the Civil Hospital where her dope test was conducted, which came positive. As per the report, the girl was suspected to have consumed morphine, benzodiazepine, marijuana and buprenorphine.

Inspector Vinod said during preliminary questioning, the police found that the girl was not into drug peddling but she had been taking drugs.

“Now she would be produced before the screening committee at the Civil Hospital, Khanna, which is headed by the Senior Medical Officer of the hospital. It also includes psychiatrists. The committee after meeting the girl will decide whether she needs to be admitted to the drug de-addiction centre or she needs to get treatment from the OPD of the centre. Committee’s recommendations will be brought to the notice of court and further proceedings will be initiated accordingly in the case,” he said.

The SHO said as per the orders of the Chief Secretary, drug addicts had now been sent to de-addiction centres so that they could shun drugs and become a part of mainstream society.

“In the past few days, the Khanna city police caught five addicts and they were sent to de-addiction centre. I also personally met them, who were undergoing treatment, and they expressed thanks to the police for ensuring their treatment and bringing them out of the drug menace,” he added.

Immunity from prosecution to addicts volunteering for treatment

Any addict, who is charged with an offence punishable under Section 27 of the NDPS Act or with offences involving small quantity of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances, who voluntarily seeks to undergo medical treatment for de-addiction from a hospital or an institution maintained or recognised by the government or a local authority and undergoes such treatment, should not be liable to prosecution. The said immunity from prosecution may be withdrawn if the person does not undergo the complete treatment for de-addiction.

Ludhiana