Mistresses of narco trade

CHANDIGARH: Crime is no longer a man's world. Its dark underbelly is spawning many woman drug peddlers and bootleggers.
The crime files unfold somewhat like this: Shanti Devi, a Sector 22-C resident, who has been convicted in six cases under the Excise Act, is under police scan. Koni Devi (51) from Janta Colony has been convicted in two cases each under the excise and NDPS acts.
Acquitted in a case registered under the IPC, 38-year-old Rani's name finds mention in two FIRs registered under the NDPS Act.Koni alias Shanti, a sector 25 resident, who earns her livelihood by picking scrap, is allegedly involved in two Excise Act cases. According to police records, Koni alias Shanti, "roams in the city with the intention of stealing and carry out illegal activities like selling of liquor." The list goes on!
These names give a face to the UT police data on habitual women offenders under the excise and NDPS acts. Going through the files in various police stations, one can easily spot few a cases wherein the accused has committed the crime time and again.
Aged between 30 years and 60 years, there are many of the fair sex facing several cases under these two acts. Though local courts have convicted them, yet few of them are mistresses of the illegal liquor and drug rackets.
With the dip in the price of liquor in the city backed by ready availability, the involvement of women offenders is shifting from excise related cases to NDPS related crime, says UT SSP Gaurav Yadav. "Women belonging to a particular community, which is now a denotified criminal tribe, are more actively involved in liquor and drug related cases. As the former is easily available, there is a shift towards sale of small quantity of drugs, which can be procured from dhabas on GT road."
Giving a different perspective to the situation, city based human right lawyer, Ranjan Lakhanpal says, "Most cases against these women are a frame-up."
But the ground reality is that though the women are involved in NDPS and Excise Act cases, they are not willing performers. They are forced into such activities by their men folk, be it their husbands or other males in the family."