Shimla: A recent police investigation has uncovered a drug smuggling racket involving Delhi students, who are allegedly transporting chitta (a form of heroin) into Himachal Pradesh. The two youths, arrested in Shimla on July 16, revealed during interrogation that chitta is being brought from the national capital, Delhi, and sold in the hill town, exposing a growing network of smugglers exploiting college students.
According to the police, the mastermind behind the operation is Sandeep Shah, a resident of Delhi, who has been running this racket in Shimla for several years. Shah, with the help of local drug peddlers, recruits Delhi-based addicts and students to smuggle and distribute chitta in Shimla.
The two arrested, Suraj and Rohit Pandey, were caught with 6.380 grams of chitta and a digital weighing machine during a police raid on a hotel near the old bus stand in Shimla. Suraj, a first-semester BSc student in Delhi, and Rohit Pandey, currently unemployed, were found to be part of this growing network of drug smuggling.
How the Operation Works
During interrogation, the duo revealed how they got involved in the illegal trade. Rohit Pandey was in contact with a man named Ravi, who introduced Suraj to the drug ring via WhatsApp. Lured by the promise of easy money, Suraj agreed to work for Sandeep Shah. Shah coordinated the deliveries by sending location details, where the drugs were to be picked up and sold in various parts of Shimla.
Police investigations further revealed that Sandeep Shah used Suraj and Rohit as couriers to pick up heroin and distribute it across different locations. Bank account scrutiny showed multiple suspicious transactions linked to Rohit Pandey. Between January 1 and August 13, several deposits were made into his account, with seven transfers from Shah alone between July 23 and July 31. Money from other unknown sources was also deposited, raising further suspicion about the scale of the smuggling network.
Mastermind Still at Large
Sandeep Shah, the alleged mastermind, remains at large. The police are actively searching for him, suspecting that he managed the entire operation from Delhi while coordinating with his local contacts in Shimla. The accused, Suraj and Rohit Pandey would send him photos and videos of the drop locations as proof of delivery.
The police believe Shah was responsible for handling all financial transactions online, ensuring that his couriers only managed the drugs while he remained behind the scenes. His role in the racket has come under scrutiny, and the investigation is ongoing as the police work to trace his movements.
Court Grants Bail to Accused
Despite the serious charges under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the district court on Wednesday granted conditional bail to Suraj, one of the arrested students. The court ruled that Suraj, a resident of Balgudar police station Lakhisarai, Bihar, and currently residing in Neb Sarai, South Delhi, would be released on bail, provided he attends all hearings and remains available for interrogation when required.
Suraj and Rohit Pandey were initially arrested on August 14 by the Sadar police station team. While Suraj has been granted bail, the police are intensifying their efforts to apprehend Sandeep Shah and dismantle the larger network of chitta smuggling that is plaguing Shimla. The case has raised alarm over the increasing involvement of students in drug smuggling, lured by the promise of quick money and drugs.
