Shimla: The arrest of a bank manager and a court staffer has exposed the growing reach of a ‘chitta’ (heroin) trafficking network in Shimla district, with police uncovering interstate links, digital money trails, and a structured local distribution chain.
In a major development, Shimla Police arrested a bank official during an investigation into a case registered under the NDPS Act at Jubbal Police Station. The accused, a resident of Rajgarh in Sirmaur district, was working as a Loan Manager/Field Officer at a nationalised bank in Rohru. He was taken into custody under Section 29 of the NDPS Act while police were tracing backward linkages to identify the source of the contraband.
Investigators revealed that the accused was actively involved in procuring and supplying chitta and maintained direct contact with the main supplier, Lucas alias Lucky, a resident of Amritsar. Evidence of online financial transactions between the two has surfaced, confirming the role of digital payments in sustaining the illegal trade.
The case first came to light on February 9, when police arrested a local woman with 13.46 grams of chitta. The probe widened thereafter, leading to the arrest of the main supplier on March 17. On April 6, three more accused—Ashish alias Gandhi, Manoj Thakur alias Sunny, and Khushi Ram alias Kush—were arrested after police established forward linkages in the distribution chain.
SSP Gaurav Singh said the investigation has exposed an organised network involving interstate suppliers and local distributors, supported by online financial transactions. So far, six accused have been arrested in the case, and the network is believed to extend beyond Himachal Pradesh. The arrested bank official is being produced in court, while further investigation is underway.
In a parallel development, Theog Police arrested a court staffer in another NDPS case linked to the same network. The case was registered on April 12 after police intercepted a car near Nangal Devi and recovered 8.340 grams of chitta from Kuldeep Verma alias Ashu, a resident of Naleha.
During interrogation, Verma disclosed that he was on his way to deliver the contraband to Hitendra Mehta alias Rinku. Police then examined technical evidence, including WhatsApp chats and online transaction records, which corroborated the claim.
Based on this evidence, Hitendra Mehta—employed as a peon at the JMFC Court in Theog—was arrested, and Section 29 of the NDPS Act was invoked against him as well.
Police said the back-to-back arrests point to a well-organised network that uses both human links and digital platforms to run the drug trade. Investigations are continuing to identify more individuals involved and to dismantle the wider interstate nexus.
