You are welcome Mumbai Police: Drug peddler caught after mid-day sting

The spot where the five women selling ganja were spotted by mid-day and the arrest made yesterday. Pic/Suresh Karkera

A day after mid-day exposed the easy availability of ganja for the price of peanuts outside three upmarket suburban colleges - SNDT, NMIMS and Mithibai College -the police has swung into action. Not only did the two police stations, in whose jurisdiction the colleges fall, formed Special Investigation Teams to monitor the areas undercover and 'weed' out criminals, but the Santacruz police even managed to arrest one peddler from the exact spot that was pointed out in this paper's front page story yesterday.

On Monday, both the Juhu and Santacruz formed teams of 11 and 5 officers respectively to keep an eye on any malpractices around the varsity and colleges.

They were also successful as the Santacruz police - monitoring the area around NMIMS and Mithibai - arrested one peddler at around 8 pm. Confirming the development, Shantanu Pawar, Senior PI from Santacruz police station said, "After an entire day of patrolling, at around 8 pm, we nabbed a man supplying ganja (hashish) near SNDT University. In the morning," he said, "when our team of five was monitoring the area in civil dress, we caught four women near the footpath, but nothing like ganja was found on their person so we charged them under the Beggar Act." He added, "It is a continuing investigation, but after the news, we have increased patrolling in the area. We will make sure that no beggar loiters there or the adjoining footpath. We have also assured the varsity that there will be a constant watch in and around the area."

Juhu not so lucky
However, the team from Juhu police station, patrolling around Mithibai, was not as lucky and couldn't nab any peddlers supplying drugs. They have, though, charged seven hawkers for running businesses without licenses and vacated them off the premises.

"Since 10 am, we have assigned three police inspectors and eight constables to keep an eye on students and locals exchanging ganja with peddlers. We have also investigated the stall workers and owners, but nothing suspicious was found till evening. However, we have charged around seven hawkers for illegally running business around the college, most selling cigarettes and pan-beedis," said Sunil Ghosalkar, senior PI from Juhu police station.

Colleges step up
Meanwhile, the colleges have also stepped up their own vigilance. "Our college will be more observant towards any suspicious activity happening around the area and we will keep informing the police if we find anything suspicious. We have also intimated our security guard to inform us if they see anything suspicious outside the college," said Ashok Basak, CEO of Shri Vile Parle Kelavani Mandal Trust that runs several colleges in Vile Parle, including Mithibai, Narsee Monjee and Usha Pravin Gandhi College.

On her part, deputy registrar of SNDT university, Giridhar Gajbe, said, "We have 350 outstation students residing in the hostel of the Juhu SNDT, and it is our responsibility to provide them a safe surrounding. On Monday, after the news appeared, I immediately, along with other varsity officials, visited the Santacruz police station seeking strict action from the police. We have also planned to increase the security around the campus."