Ludhiana: GRP nabs Jharkhand man with 16kg opium
Ludhiana The Government Railway Police (GRP) has arrested a 31-year-old man at Ludhiana Junction on Thursday and seized 16 kilograms of opium from his possession, the largest quantity recovered by the department so far.
The accused, Santosh Singh, a resident of Chatra district in Jharkhand, was caught while attempting to leave the station through an alternate route. According to inspector Palwinder Singh, station house officer (SHO) of the GRP station at Ludhiana Junction, Santosh raised suspicion after he was seen heading towards the Lakkar bridge from platform number 4-5, carrying a large backpack.
'He avoided the main exit and tried to slip away quietly. Since he was carrying a big bag, he appeared suspicious to our personnel. When he was stopped and searched, 16kg of opium was recovered from his bag,' said the SHO.
Initial investigation revealed that Santosh had been working at an eatery in Bhogpur near Jalandhar. He had returned to his hometown in Jharkhand for Holi and was allegedly transporting the contraband back as he resumed work.
The SHO further claimed that this was not his first attempt. 'In December 2024, Santosh had brought 1kg of opium in a similar manner after visiting home,' he said.
The GRP is currently analysing his call detail records and bank transactions to trace the network involved in the smuggling.
On Friday, Santosh was produced before a magistrate was sent to three-day police remand for further questioning.
Inspector Palwinder Singh, who earlier served with the Criminal Investigation Agency (CIA) of Punjab Police, highlighted that Jharkhand has become a major source of opium entering Punjab in the recent years. 'Most of the recoveries I've made in the past three years have links to Jharkhand. Our investigations suggest that illegal opium cultivation is rampant in Naxal-controlled areas there,' he added.
A probe into the case is underway.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
Chhattisgarh CM to brief PM Modi on successful anti-Naxal ops; hails neutralisation of top Naxal leader
Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], June 6 (ANI): Just a day after security forces neutralised a top naxal leader, Sudhakar (alias Gautam), in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai departed for Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discuss the successful operations to finish naxalism, the path forward, while also discussing the state's development. CM Sai will be visiting Delhi today and tomorrow (June 7). 'I am visiting Delhi for two days. I will return tomorrow. I will meet the Prime Minister and discuss the development of Chhattisgarh...I will also brief him about our fight against Naxalism and the successes we have had,' CM Sai said just before departing for his flight. While hailing the recent successful anti-Naxal operation, which neutralised Gautam, a Central Committee Member (CCM), the Chief Minister saluted the jawans for their bravery in carrying out such operations. 'Operations are going on continuously, and we are achieving success. Yesterday, as well, we had a success. One Central Committee Member (CCM) was neutralised by our jawans yesterday. We salute their bravery,' he told reporters. This is the second such operations by security forces which has led to the neutralisation of a top Naxal leader. On June 5, officials confirmed that the body of Gautam was found, and on May 21, just over three weeks ago, the body of Basava Raju was recovered. A Central Committee Politburo member and CPI (Maoist) General Secretary, he was widely known as the 'backbone of the naxal movement.' Bastar's Inspector General P Sundarraj highlighted the two successes of security forces earlier today. 'Based on inputs, the STF, DRG, and CoBRA joint teams were sent for operation. During the operation, exchange of fire between security forces and Naxals took place multiple times. After the exchange of fire, during the search, the body of a Maoist and an AK-47 weapon and a large amount of explosive materials and other arms and ammunition were recovered,' the IG said. According to officials, Gautam was a senior Maoist leader responsible for various violent incidents that resulted in the deaths of numerous innocent tribal civilians and of security personnel. His death marks a major success for the security forces and is a significant blow to the Maoist leadership, particularly in the Dandakaranya region. His neutralisation is expected to cause a considerable setback to the already weakening strength of the banned and outlawed Maoist organisation. 186 Maoist cadres have been killed in counter-insurgency operations across the Bastar Range in 2025 so far. During the period 2024-2025, more than 403 Maoist cadres have been neutralised and their bodies recovered in the Bastar Range following multiple encounters between Maoists and security forces, according to officials. (ANI)
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Business Standard
Chhattisgarh CM to brief PM on anti-Naxal ops, hails top leader's death
Just a day after security forces neutralised a top naxal leader, Sudhakar (alias Gautam), in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai departed for Delhi to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discuss the successful operations to finish naxalism, the path forward, while also discussing the state's development. CM Sai will be visiting Delhi today and tomorrow (June 7). "I am visiting Delhi for two days. I will return tomorrow. I will meet the Prime Minister and discuss the development of Chhattisgarh...I will also brief him about our fight against Naxalism and the successes we have had," CM Sai said just before departing for his flight. While hailing the recent successful anti-Naxal operation, which neutralised Gautam, a Central Committee Member (CCM), the Chief Minister saluted the jawans for their bravery in carrying out such operations. "Operations are going on continuously, and we are achieving success. Yesterday, as well, we had a success. One Central Committee Member (CCM) was neutralised by our jawans yesterday. We salute their bravery," he told reporters. This is the second such operations by security forces which has led to the neutralisation of a top Naxal leader. On June 5, officials confirmed that the body of Gautam was found, and on May 21, just over three weeks ago, the body of Basava Raju was recovered. A Central Committee Politburo member and CPI (Maoist) General Secretary, he was widely known as the "backbone of the naxal movement." Bastar's Inspector General P Sundarraj highlighted the two successes of security forces earlier today. "Based on inputs, the STF, DRG, and CoBRA joint teams were sent for operation. During the operation, exchange of fire between security forces and Naxals took place multiple times. After the exchange of fire, during the search, the body of a Maoist and an AK-47 weapon and a large amount of explosive materials and other arms and ammunition were recovered," the IG said. According to officials, Gautam was a senior Maoist leader responsible for various violent incidents that resulted in the deaths of numerous innocent tribal civilians and of security personnel. His death marks a major success for the security forces and is a significant blow to the Maoist leadership, particularly in the Dandakaranya region. His neutralisation is expected to cause a considerable setback to the already weakening strength of the banned and outlawed Maoist organisation. 186 Maoist cadres have been killed in counter-insurgency operations across the Bastar Range in 2025 so far. During the period 2024-2025, more than 403 Maoist cadres have been neutralised and their bodies recovered in the Bastar Range following multiple encounters between Maoists and security forces, according to officials.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
5 hours ago
- Business Standard
Naxal leader killed in Chattisgarh; second to be neutralised in 3 weeks
According to officials, Gautam was a senior Maoist leader responsible for various violent incidents that resulted in the deaths of numerous innocent tribal civilians and of security personnel ANI General News In a blow to naxalism in Chhattisgarh, the death of a top naxal leader and Central Committee Member (CCM), Sudhakar (alias Gautam), in Bijapur district marks the second such successful high profile anti-naxal operation by security forces in just over 3 weeks, Bastar's Inspector General P Sundarraj said. Gautam, the leader of the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation, was neutralised by security forces on June 5 during an operation in Bijapur's national forest area. Just 3 weeks ago, on May 21, security forces had recovered the body of a Central Committee Politburo member and CPI (Maoist) General Secretary Basava Raju in a massive operation in Abujmarh area in Narayanpur district, in which 26 other naxals were neutralised. Raju was known as the 'backbone of the Naxal movement,' a top leader in the organisation. "On May 21, after the recovery of the body of CPI (Maoist) leader, Central Committee Politburo member and CPI (Maoist) General Secretary Basava Raju in Abujhmarh forest, today on 5th June, security forces received a huge success in anti-naxal operation," Sundarraj told ANI here. The Bastar IG said an AK-47 rifle, along with arms, ammunition and various explosive materials, were recovered after the encounter. "In the Bijapur national park area, inputs regarding the presence of CPI (Maoist) senior Maoist cadres and PLG cadres were received. Based on that, the STF, DRG, and CoBRA joint teams were sent for operation. During the operation, exchange of fire between security forces and Naxals took place multiple times. After the exchange of fire, during the search, the body of a Maoist and an AK-47 weapon and a large amount of explosive materials and other arms and ammunition were recovered," the IG said. The encounter involved a joint operation by the Special Task Force (STF), District Reserve Guard (DRG), and Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA). According to officials, Gautam was a senior Maoist leader responsible for various violent incidents that resulted in the deaths of numerous innocent tribal civilians and of security personnel. The death of Gautam marks a major success for the security forces and is a significant blow to the Maoist leadership, particularly in the Dandakaranya region. His neutralisation is expected to cause a considerable setback to the already weakening strength of the banned and outlawed Maoist organisation. 186 Maoist cadres have been killed in counter-insurgency operations across the Bastar Range in 2025 so far. During the period 2024-2025, more than 403 Maoist cadres have been neutralised and their bodies recovered in the Bastar Range following multiple encounters between Maoists and security forces, according to officials. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
