In a major setback to AAP government’s war on drugs, six trainee constables at the training center in Jahan Khelan (Hoshiarpur) have tested positive for drugs. All six trainees returned to their home district without completing basic training. All of them will now undergo compulsory de-addiction and rehabilitation before being reconsidered for police service.
This comes just weeks after DGP Gaurav Yadav set a May 31 deadline to eliminate drugs from the state, issuing stern directions to district police chiefs to snap the supply chain.
Sources reveal the incident shocked authorities at the centre where hundreds of other recruits were undergoing training before joining the police force. “The six recruits were found under the influence of some intoxicant and looked inebriated during training, which raised many eyebrows. How and from where they obtained narcotics inside the centre warrants a thorough probe,” they said.
A senior IPS officer confirmed that the recruits have been sent back and must undergo de-addiction treatment, else they will lose their jobs. “We will question them to determine whether they consumed substances brought from outside the centre or procured from some insider. The issue is serious as the police at the grassroots level are the first responders in the war against drugs. It is crucial that no addict serves in the department,” he told The Tribune.