Why Police bulldozes houses of alleged drug traffickers in Punjab, explained

Chandigarh: The Punjab Police has launched a crackdown on alleged drug traffickers by demolishing their properties using bulldozers. The operation, which began in Ludhiana on February 24, has since expanded to Patiala and Ropar.

The first action took place in Talwandi village, Ludhiana, where the police used a bulldozer to demolish part of a house belonging to Sonu, an alleged drug trafficker with six cases registered against him. His parents were inside the house during the operation.

The next day, a similar operation was carried out at the residence of Rahul Hans in Bhai Himmat Singh Nagar, Ludhiana. This was followed by demolitions at the homes of Bimla Devi in New Hari Krishna Colony on February 26 and an accused couple in Narangwal village near Jagraon on February 27.

The police have described the demolitions as part of a campaign against the ‘drug mafia,’ targeting properties allegedly built using drug money. Ludhiana Police Commissioner Kuldeep Singh Chahal stated that the seized properties were linked to drug smuggling activities.

By February 28, the police had extended the operation to Patiala and Ropar, demolishing houses of accused drug traffickers there as well. So far, six properties have been targeted in the campaign.

The use of bulldozers for demolitions has been widely observed in states like Uttar Pradesh in recent years.

However, in November 2024, a Supreme Court bench led by Justices B R Gavai and K V Vishwanathan ruled that demolishing a person’s house solely based on an accusation is against the rule of law. The court had issued guidelines on such actions while hearing petitions challenging similar demolitions in other states.