‘Chitta’ seized from Kapurthala youth

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the police arrested a Punjab youth and recovered 44.92 grams of ‘chitta’ (heroin) from his rented room in a house on the Gompa Road in Manali today. The police, acting on a tip-off, raided the premises and seized the contraband from Sandeep Singh (26), a resident of Jabowal village in Kapurthala in Punjab.

Kullu SP Karthikeyan Gokulachandran said that a case was registered against the accused under Section 21 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Manali police station. He added, “An intensive investigation is underway to identify the drug supply network and other individuals involved in the trade of illegal substances.”

The latest arrest follows a string of recent heroin seizures in the region. On May 22, the police had recovered 58 grams of ‘chitta’ from two individuals from Punjab at 16 Mile on the Kullu-Manali National Highway. Just two days earlier, a 14-year-old boy from Punjab was apprehended at the Green Tax Barrier at Prini in Manali with 24.70 grams of heroin.

The increasing number of such arrests and drug hauls have raised concerns about the scale of narcotics supplied in Kullu. In recent months, the law enforcement agencies had intercepted multiple heroin consignments, indicating that the area may be emerging as a major transit or processing hub in the drug supply chain — especially during the summer season when lakhs of tourists flock to Manali.

The authorities have intensified efforts to combat drug trafficking. The police and the local administration are conducting awareness campaigns in schools, colleges and villages and educating residents about the dangers of heroin abuse and the legal consequences of drug-related crimes.

Himachal Tribune