Hand over drugs cases to independent agency: HERICOUN
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 02 2020: The Ethno Heritage Council (HERICOUN) has said that handing over the pending drugs related cases to an independent investigating agency and Government extending full cooperation to the agency to finish the investigation in a short period of time will bring out the true meaning of "War on Drugs" slogan of the State Government.

HERICOUN, in a statement, said the number of youths of both gender abusing drugs is increasing.

The State Government, in order to contain the spread of COVID-19, has banned the transport, sale and use of tobacco products in the State.

However many shops are still seen selling tobacco products openly even during the curfew.

A recent news report of local Meira Paibis seizing and destroying a huge quantity of tobacco products which was reportedly escorted by State security forces has made one question the Government's "War on Drugs" slogan, it said.

As these items were brought in passing many security check posts, HERICOUN suspects that an influential person in the Government or someone who has close connection with the person in the Government, must be involved in the case, it further said.

In Manipur there have been numerous cases of confiscation of drugs in large quantities, however the owner of the drugs are never known while in some other cases the culprits were never punished for their crime, it continued.

Most of the time the investigating agency takes too long to investigate the cases that people no longer remember and sometimes the culprit die before receiving punishment, it said.

Due to lack of trust in the institution and the enforcing agencies, people have started taking law into their hands in the form of mob lynching, it said.

A few years ago a large quantity of drugs were confiscated from the Imphal Airport.

People strongly suspect the involvement of a politician however as the investigating agency took too long to investigate, the persons whom people suspected had a hand in the case are living a carefree life, it said.

The most recent case being the case of Lhukhosei Zou, where drugs worth crores of rupees were reportedly seized from his residence.

In this case also an Additional SP has accused high ranking police officers, a person from the BJP, and even the Chief Minister of favouring Lhukhosei Zou, while also alleging that due pressure was mounted on the officer to release Lhukhosei Zou, it said.

But on the other hand the CM has filed a defamation suit against the officer charging that the officer has maligned the prestige of the CM and police department, it said.

While saying that people have a trust deficit in the politicians and the law enforcing agencies of the State, HERICOUN urged the Government to hand over the cases to an independent investigating agency.

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