Ahmedabad Times

Over the past 10 days, police groups and income officers have demolished no less than 10 homes and residential properties, principally in south Kashmir.

Whereas in some instances, police mentioned these have been constructed illegally, both on authorities land or with out correct permission, in different instances, they mentioned the buildings have been demolished as they have been “acquired and developed utilizing proceeds generated from narcotics trafficking”.

After demolishing a industrial advanced comprising 15 outlets at Bijbehara in south Kashmir, police had mentioned, “Throughout verification, it surfaced that the buying advanced had been illegally constructed on state land.” The property belonged to a “infamous drug peddler”, police mentioned, in opposition to whom a case is registered beneath the Narcotic Medicine and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. “Performing upon due authorized course of and in coordination with the involved authorities, the unlawful construction was demolished as a part of ongoing efforts to dismantle the monetary infrastructure of the drug syndicate…,” they mentioned.

In one other case, police mentioned the home of an alleged drug peddler was demolished in Srinagar as a result of it was “raised illegally on land acquired and developed utilizing proceeds generated from narcotics trafficking”. Police additional mentioned the “motion sends a transparent and unequivocal message (that) properties from proceeds of drug trafficking won’t be spared and people concerned within the narcotics commerce will face strict and visual motion”.

J&Ok Well being Minister Sakina Itoo on Friday criticised the police motion. “Don’t goal the folks making it (drug trafficking) an excuse,” Itoo mentioned whereas speaking to reporters. “When you arrest somebody, the place does he get these medication from? The Dwelling division ought to examine that medication don’t come right here.”

Itoo warned that “bulldozing the homes, demolishing the property” may have destructive penalties and known as for its instant cease.

“That is completely flawed,” she mentioned, including, “When you get well medication or one thing else from somebody, you demolish a property that’s not even in his title, that could be a property of his dad and mom…”

She requested how medication enter Jammu and Kashmir when the borders are manned by safety forces. “You lay your fingers on the individuals who carry it into Kashmir,” she mentioned.

Itoo additionally alleged that whereas demolitions and seizure of immovable belongings are happening within the Kashmir Valley, the Jammu division is spared.

“I wish to ask you one query. The place is drug habit extra, Jammu or Kashmir? As a Well being minister, I offers you the figures that it’s extra in Jammu,” she mentioned. “If you wish to management habit, it’s important to management it in Jammu as effectively. However in Kashmir, you employ it as an excuse to grab the properties, to demolish and bulldoze the homes. It’s discrimination,” she added.

Whereas there have been no less than 10 drug-related demolitions within the Valley within the final 10 days, there have been no less than 4 demolitions in Jammu final month. Of those, three have been carried out in Rajiv Nagar on April 12 and one in Beli-Charana on the outskirts of Jammu on April 18.