Wokha, 19 July (MTNews): In the wake of a recent incident where two alleged female drug peddlers were paraded with cardboard hanging from their necks and their hair cut, the state government has issued a warning to the Lotha Eloe Hoho, the apex women’s body of the Lotha Naga tribe, and the Tsumang A/B Youth Organization in Wokha district. The warning came as a response to their actions taken against suspected drug peddlers, which were deemed to be “outside the boundaries of the law.”
Wokha Deputy Commissioner, Ajit Kumar Ranjan, addressed the tribal bodies through a letter on Tuesday, advising them to refrain from taking the law into their own hands in their fight against drug abuse. Instead, he urged them to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and take proactive measures within the legal framework to combat the drug menace.
Ranjan reminded the tribal bodies about a letter received on 17 July where the tribal bodies had urged the need for a collective effort to control the drug menace in the district and recalled the meetings held with stakeholders on 26 June during the celebration of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
In those meetings, he said, the severity of drug use was discussed and the district administration sought support from civil society organizations to share information with law enforcement agencies and raise awareness among vulnerable populations.
Ranjan appreciated the continued concern shown by the tribal bodies; however, he expressed concern over reports on social media and information from the police regarding the actions taken by these organizations against the suspected drug peddlers.
“…the action taken by your organization, it appears that the path chosen by you to deal with the suspected case of drug peddling is not within the boundaries of law and will prove to be self-defeating in our collective fight against the drug menace,” the DC observed.
Furthermore, he pointed out that such actions could lead to stigmatization of drug users, hindering efforts by the community and the government to reach out to them for rehabilitation and treatment. In case of any grievances against law enforcement agencies, Ranjan advised the public to follow the proper channels and make an appeal with the DC office for rectification.
The Deputy Commissioner then cited a relevant Supreme Court judgment from 17 July 2018 in the Tehseen S Poonawalla case. The quote emphasized the importance of regarding the law as the foundation of a civilized society and underlined that no individual or group should take the enforcement of law into their own hands. The administration of law is entrusted to the law enforcement agencies, and citizens are entitled to be treated as innocent until proven guilty in a fair trial, he added.