By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 12 Mar: UP and Uttarakhand police are at loggerheads over a high-profile surgical strike by Uttarakhand Police in Bareilly in UP against alleged drug smugglers. Both state police forces are presenting evidence to justify their claims and actions even as the local villagers in Bareilly accused the Uttarakhand Police of wrongly implicating innocent people.
Bareilly police claim that Uttarakhand police carried out the strike in a dramatic fashion without coordinating with them. It may be reminded here that Uttarakhand Police had arrested 25 alleged drug peddlers early morning when the accused were having a Sehri feast as part of Ramzan. Following 48 hours of allegations and counter-allegations, confusion between both states’ police forces has intensified further. It is also claimed that UP Police have registered a case against Uttarakhand Polcie even as senior officials appeared to be taken aback by the incident.
SSPs from both states, Manikant Mishra (SSP, Udham Singh Nagar) and Anurag Arya (SSP, Bareilly), are presenting contrary evidence to the media. Relatives of 14 out of 15 villagers released from custody in Bareilly have lodged complaints, accusing Uttarakhand police of breaking doors and misbehaving with women.
Bareilly police, which promised to investigate these complaints, have also criticised the Uttarakhand team. They claimed that drug dealers from Uttarakhand were selling smack in the Maidan area, and released details of 64 arrests made in four years.
It may be recalled that, on Sunday night, around 300 officers and policemen from Uttarakhand entered several houses in Fatehganj West and Agaras in Bareilly district of UP in vehicles with baraat stickers and arrested around 25 individuals. Later, US Nagar Police also released a press note, photos and videos, claiming the operation was aimed to make Uttarakhand drug-free.
However, on Monday morning, Uttarakhand police released 15 villagers due to lack of evidence. Only one wanted person, Asif, was arrested. Bareilly SSP Anurag Arya verified records and stated that 14 of the 15 released individuals had no criminal record. By Tuesday morning, Uttarakhand police conceded that the remaining nine suspects were not from Bareilly, but nearby areas, and released them after interrogation.
The borders of Udham Singh Nagar district touch those of Bareilly and Nepal, making it a hotspot for drug smuggling. Uttarakhand police denied allegations of misconduct during the raid, asserting that female officers were present, and CCTV footage would prove their actions.
Bareilly police on the other hand countered Uttarakhand’s claims, stating that drugs were being smuggled from UP to Uttarakhand and other states.
Residents of Fatehganj West filed complaints against Uttarakhand police for breaking doors, misbehaving with women, and taking away male family members during the raid. The detained individuals were transported to Uttarakhand and released on Monday.
On special instructions from CM Dhami, Uttarakhand police, led by Udham Singh Nagar SSP Manikant Mishra, had conducted the raid. About 300 policemen raided Agaraspur village in Bareilly district, arresting 25 persons. Bareilly SSP Anurag Arya expressed concerns over the lack of coordination and the potential risk of mishaps during the raid in a Muslim-dominated village during Sehri, especially with the upcoming Holi festival. The issue has potential to snowball further if senior police officers from both the states fail to intervene in the matter and settle the dispute at the earliest.
