Connect with us
Sunday,31-August-2025
Breaking News

Crime

Goa: 73 drug peddlers arrested in four months

Published

on

The Goa police have arrested as many as 73 drug peddlers in the past four months in connection with 60 cases filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

According to sources, during the raids carried out between January and April, around 67 Kg drugs were seized in several areas of the coastal state, mostly in the vicinity of beaches.

“This seizure is valued at crores of rupees. We are tracking up the cases systematically and trying to clamp down the chain of drug peddlers. There is involvement of foreign nationals, people from other states and even locals,” a senior police officer said on the condition of anonymity.

As per official records, 168 cases in 2017, 222 cases in 2018, 219 cases in 2019, 148 cases in 2020 , 121 cases in 2021, and 154 cases in 2022 have been registered under the NDPS Act.

Goa is increasingly known as a narco-tourism hotspot and many arrive in the coastal state with the intention of “trade” and “consumption”.

In 2020, the BJP government in the state was reportedly considering legalising the cultivation of marijuana or cannabis for medicinal purposes. However, in the wake of stiff opposition, the plan was shelved.

Meanwhile, the Drug Disposal Committee of Goa Police in the last four years has disposed of 101.993 kgs of narcotics, after the final disposal of the cases by the court.

Official records say that the disposed drugs include charas, ganja, LSD, cocaine, ecstasy tablets, MDMA powder, heroin, brown sugar, and opium.

The Goa government had formed the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances Disposal Committee for disposal of seized narcotic drugs by the police department in 2010.

The methodology adopted by the Anti-Narcotics Cell, Goa is screening of consumers followed by medical examination through blood samples and urine samples.

There is no specific time frame for the destruction of drugs. After the final disposal of the case by the court, the concerned court passes the order for disposal of seized narcotic drugs. Accordingly, the drugs are disposed as per the notification of Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue, New Delhi and the committee after verifying the drugs, destroys in the incinerator at Goa Medical College at Bambolim and Biotic Waste Solution plant at Kundaim,” the sources said.

Crime

Maloney arrested with 7.2 million worth of ganja and pistol, five others

Published

on

Mumbai Maloni Police has claimed to have arrested five accused including ganja worth Rs 72 lakhs and a country-made pistol and live cartridges. In Maloni, the police had arrested Ashiq Hussain Khan with 1 kg 60 grams of ganja. He said that he buys this drug from Nashik. After that, Santosh More of Nashik was arrested. After that, a total of four accused were arrested in this case and a case was registered against them under the NDPS Act. A car was searched in Maloni Madh in which a country-made pistol and ganja were recovered. This operation was carried out by DCP Sandeep Jadhav on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti. The police is investigating the matter further.

Continue Reading

Crime

Bihar: Nine Years After Journalist Rajdev Ranjan’s Murder, CBI Court Convicts Three And Acquits Three Accused In Siwan Case

Published

on

Patna: Nine years after the murder of senior journalist Rajdev Ranjan in Bihar’s Siwan, the Special CBI Court in Muzaffarpur on Saturday convicted three accused while acquitting three others.

On May 13, 2016, Rajdev Ranjan, then bureau chief of a leading Hindi daily, was shot dead in Siwan.

He was returning from a hospital visit when assailants opened fire, hitting him with two bullets that proved fatal on the spot.

His wife, Asha Yadav, lodged the FIR at the Siwan Town police station, and suspicion soon pointed towards jailed RJD strongman and former Siwan MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, though charges were later framed against other accused.

The case was later taken over by the CBI, which filed a chargesheet against seven accused, excluding Shahabuddin.

Shahabuddin, considered the main accused, died during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The trial involved six accused – Azharuddin alias Laddan Mian, Rohit Kumar Soni, Vijay Kumar Gupta, Sonu Kumar Gupta, Rajesh Kumar, and Rishu Kumar Jaiswal.

Another accused was declared a juvenile, with his case being heard separately.

After nearly eight years of proceedings, during which the CBI examined 69 witnesses and presented 111 pieces of evidence, District and Additional Sessions Judge-3 Namita Singh delivered the judgment.

As per the judgement, Azharuddin alias Laddan Mian, Rajesh Kumar and Rishu Kumar Jaiswal were acquitted while Vijay Kumar Gupta, Sonu Kumar Gupta and Rohit Kumar Soni were found guilty.

Defence lawyer Sharad Sinha told reporters that the court acquitted three accused due to lack of evidence, while the remaining three were found guilty of the journalist’s murder.

The high-profile case, once linked to Shahabuddin’s political clout in Siwan, was initially heard at the Special Court (MP/MLA cases) in Patna before being shifted to the CBI Court in Muzaffarpur.

The sentencing of the three convicted accused is expected in the coming days.

Continue Reading

Crime

Virar Building Collapse: 5 People Arrested In Connection With Case; Probe Handed Over To Crime Branch

Published

on

Palghar: The investigation into the collapse of the Ramabai building in Virar, which claimed 17 lives earlier this week, has been handed over to the Crime Branch Unit 3.

Initially, builder Nittal Gopinath Sane (48) was arrested in connection with the case. Following further inquiry, police have also taken into custody Shubhangi Bhoir (38), Sandhya Patil (35), Surendra Bhoir (46), and Mangesh Patil (35) — the daughters and son-in-law of the late landowner Parshuram Dalvi. All five accused are scheduled to be produced before the Vasai Sessions Court on Saturday.

According to investigators, Dalvi had entered into an agreement with developer Sane for the construction of the building between 2008 and 2011. In 2020, the municipal corporation had issued a notice citing the need for repairs. Officials have confirmed that the structure was illegal.

On Tuesday, tragedy struck when the building collapsed, killing 17 residents and leaving several others injured. The probe is focusing on negligence, accountability of the landowners, and the role of the developer in the unauthorized construction.

Continue Reading

Trending