Journalism of Courage
The Anti Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Pune police has arrested two drug peddlers including a 30-year-old woman,operating in the upmarket Koregaon Park and Yerawada areas. Police have seized hashish and opium worth Rs 31,750 from the suspects. Investigation revealed that drugs came from Nepal.
The police have identified the suspects as Jyoti Gulabrao Bende (30) and Vivek Kumar (35),residing at Siddhartha Complex in Yerwada. Acting on a tip-off to constables Sushil Kakade and Eknath Khule,a team of ANC led inspector Ganpat Nikam nabbed the duo at their residence in Yerwada on Thursday. Police team seized 266.3 grams of hashish and 20.8 grams of opium from their possession.
Police said that Bende was a history-sheeter. She was earlier arrested for selling hashish in Koregaon Park,about three months before. She was later released on bail. But she again started drug peddling, Nikam said. Bende was earlier working as a real estate agent in Koregoan Park. While her accomplice Kumar was working as a gardener in Osho Ashram. Both of them are addicted to drugs. They started staying together at Yerwada and were selling drugs from home. Kumar was sometimes selling drugs at burning ghat and other spots in Koregaon Park.
Their customers include high profile persons like businessmen,foreigner students,employees of corporate companies and call centres, Nikam said.
During sustained interrogation,Bende and Kumar told us that they got drugs from two men in Nepal. These men brought the consignment of drugs from Nepal and gave it to Bende at Pune a few days before, Nikam said. Police are now searching for the two Nepalese involved in the chain. Deputy Commissioner (anti narcotics cell) Rajendra Dahale is heading the investigation.
