Two held for running drug racket at Punjab Police Academy

A constable posted at the PPA testified against the duo alleging that he was hooked on drugs by them.

Chandigarh: Two policemen posted at the Punjab Police Academy (PPA) were arrested for allegedly running a drug racket on the campus. The two accused, identified as Head Constable Shakti Kumar and a class IV employee Jai Ram, have been booked under Sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act at the Phillaur police station falling under the Jalandhar Rural Police.

A constable posted at the PPA testified against the duo alleging that he was hooked on drugs by them. He said he had joined the force on compensatory grounds after his father's death in October 2013. The constable joined the academy in 2015 to undertake the course as a basic drill instructor. After the course, he was attached to the PPA where he met Shakti Kumar. He said he had gone to Amritsar to attend a wedding ceremony on December 31, 2017, with Shakti Kumar when the latter planned for a New Year party in Dalhousie. He said the accused made him take intoxicating white powder after which he got addicted.

The sepoy said he made the payment to Shakti Kumar via PayTM and took loans from a financier and a bank for the same. He said he made payments on Jai Ram’s PayTM account too and later got to know that Shakti Kumar was taking drugs from Jai Ram. He said there are 8 to 10 other employees in the academy like him who are addicted to drugs. "Some personnel has ruined their lives leaving their families in distress," he added.