Grappling with an intractable issue of narcotics addiction among the youth, the state of Punjab in north India has seen nearly one death a day, on an average for the past one month, attributed to drug overdose.
While the allegations of police-politician and mafia nexus have made headlines in the state in the past, a police officer, who as an international Hockey player has represented India in over 100 matches, was arrested in connection with the drug trade in the state.
Daljit Singh Dhillon, a deputy superintendent of police was arrested on Tuesday following allegations that he was trading illegal drugs, such as heroin, at his official residence.
Last week, a 26-year-old woman, flanked by Punjab’s leader of opposition Sukhpal Khaira and Lok Bhalai Party leader Simarjit Bains, alleged in a press conference that Mr Dhillon got her hooked to drugs and raped her in 2013.
Daljit Singh Dhillon was arrested on Tuesday. Source: Facebook
The woman whose identity wasn’t revealed said a male friend took her to Mr Dhillon’s residence where she was handed a “wrapping paper, a lighter and a pinch of heroin”.
“The cook Ashok brought a wrapping paper and a lighter. I was given a pinch of heroin and he [Mr Dhillon] said ‘have you tried this? Women do this. This is the trend these days’”, she said.
“He [Mr Dhillon] showed me how to consume it”.
The woman claimed Mr Dhillon said he had the contraband recovered from smugglers and allegedly told her to bring “young unmarried women” buyers.
Soon after the allegations were published in the press, Mr Dhillon was suspended and later dismissed following an inquiry by a woman police officer.
Mr Dhillon refuted the allegations against him in a media conference where a number of Indian women hockey players trained by him said they wouldn’t play for India unless Mr Dhillon’s services were reinstated.
However, on Tuesday, the Punjab police arrested him after he was charged with rape and provisions of anti-narcotics law. In the court, Mr Dhillon’s lawyer said the case against him was “motivated by politics”. He said Mr Dhillon was being implicated in a false case at the behest of a former state cabinet minister.
