The recent case of rape and murder of 10 year old girl in Kotdwar city of Pauri district has resulted in the collective rage of locals against the police department and state administration for not taking effective measures against the increasing source of drug usage and alcohol consumption in the state. Although, separate departments in the state have been working against illegal alcohol and drug consumption, the lack of coordination and knowledge among the enforcement agents has resulted in less than mediocre result so far.

Director General (law and Order) Ashok Kumar said, “Police force is consistently working against drug abuse. Police work as a common agent so we coordinate with every department.”

Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Arun Mohan Joshi said, “We have been consistently working against drugs import in the district. In fact we are targeting all those places where we suspect that people go to consume drugs. Effective enforcement against drug abuse is our top priority.”

It is pertinent to mention here that the Anti Drug Task Force (ADTF) unit of Special Task Force (STF), health department, excise department and local police work and seize the contraband at regular intervals.

According to official sources, even though police operate as general enforcement agents, they have little or no knowledge about some of the medicines that are illegal to consume unless prescribed. Also, drug distributions at most of the places that intelligence unit and local police have identified are being done by minors. Some of these identified places are illegal slums settled at the banks of Rispana and Bindal rivers in Dehradun, Deepnagar and some area of Azad Colony. Some senior police officers have blamed the drugs and easy access to pornographic content available on internet for such crimes.

A social activist working on such issues in the state has also alleged that it is not possible for any illegal supply of alcohol or drug distribution in the state to happen without the knowledge of the police station in-charge concerned.

It is important to mention here that local police have termed the protest by locals of Kotdwar from where the victim girl and the accused hail, as rage against the heinous nature of the crime. However, local women have stated that they have been complaining about the increased supply and consumption of drugs and alcohol from a long time, but police failed to take any action.