Sambhajinagar top cop writes to civic chief seeking demolition of homes of 60 accused in drugs cases

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: In an unprecedented move in the state, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city police commissioner has written to the municipal corporation seeking demolition of allegedly unauthorised houses and buildings of 60 accused booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, claiming that the premises were used for storage and sale of contraband.On Monday, police commissioner Pravin Pawar addressed a detailed letter to municipal commissioner G Shreekanth, enclosing a list of 60 accused along with their residential addresses. In the letter, the police commissioner urged the civic body to verify the legality of the constructions and initiate demolition proceedings if found unauthorised, after following due legal procedure and in compliance with high court directives.In the communication, Pawar said that several cases were registered at different police stations in the city against the accused under the NDPS Act and other relevant sections. "It was revealed during investigations that these accused repeatedly stored and sold narcotic substances. In many instances, their residential properties and buildings were used to stock and carry out illegal sale of drugs," he wrote.The police chief further pointed out that there is suspicion that the houses and structures in which the accused resided are unauthorised. "These unauthorised buildings are being used for illegal narcotics trade, adversely affecting law and order in the neighbourhoods. Effective and collective action against the drug menace in the city is the need of the hour," Pawar stated in the letter.Speaking to TOI, Pawar confirmed that this is the first time such a proposal has been formally initiated by any police commissionerate in Maharashtra in connection with NDPS offences. "We have identified habitual offenders who have criminal cases, including narcotics-related cases. In several cases, their premises were found to be used for the storage and sale of drugs. If these constructions are illegal, action under the municipal laws must follow. The police department will provide adequate bandobast during any such drive," Pawar said.He added that a list of registered offences against each of the accused was annexed with the letter to assist the civic authorities in taking an informed decision. The police requested the municipal corporation to complete the necessary legal scrutiny and, if the buildings were found to be unauthorised, proceed with demolition as per law.Officials in the civic body confirmed receipt of the letter and said the matter would be examined in accordance with statutory provisions. The proposed action comes amid an intensified crackdown by the city police on drug trafficking networks, with multiple NDPS cases registered over the past 20 months across various police stations.If carried out, the demolition drive could mark a significant escalation in the enforcement strategy against narcotics-related offences in the Marathwada region.Some of the hardened criminals whose names were mentioned in the list include Anil Malwe (29 cases), Adil Bin Hamad Chaush (23), Sachin Tribhuvan (21), Dnyaneshwar alias Mauli Yadav (23), Arbaz alias Guddu Deshmukh (19), and Shaikh Ashfaq Patel (6). Authorities said that these accused had several body as well as property offences, apart from NDPS cases.Yearly Actions:2021: 262022: 582023: 862024: 1462025: 283Accused Count:2021: 672022: 992023: 1252024: 2362025: 337Seizure Value:2021: 87.99 Lakh2022: 63.44 Lakh2023: 53.18 Lakh2024: 2.28 Crore2025: 2.82 Crore MSID:: 128428138 413 |