Mandi, 6March
An attempt to smuggle heroin, locally known as “chitta”, into the District Jail Mandi was foiled on Thursday after jail staff recovered the contraband during a routine inmate meeting.
According to police, the accused woman has been identified as Sunita, wife of Suraj Kumar Sharma, a resident of Bagachanogi in Mandi district. She had come to meet her husband, who is currently lodged in the jail in a drug trafficking case.
During the scheduled meeting hours on Thursday afternoon, the woman allegedly tried to send a white-coloured suspicious substance concealed in clothes to her husband. However, the jail staff deployed on duty grew suspicious and conducted a security check, during which the substance was recovered before it could reach the inmate.
Initial examination suggested that the seized substance was heroin (chitta) weighing approximately 1.3 grams.
The incident came to light following a complaint lodged by the Assistant Superintendent of District Jail Mandi, after which the police registered a case and arrested the accused woman as per legal provisions. She was later served a notice in accordance with the law.
Police officials said that drug-dependent inmates often pose serious challenges for law enforcement agencies as withdrawal symptoms sometimes force authorities to shift them to hospitals for treatment.
Superintendent of Police Mandi Vinod Kumar confirmed the incident and said that the police are investigating the case while keeping all aspects in view.
