Pub goers hit out at police excesses in the name drug control measures

HYDERABAD: The crackdown launched by Telangana police against the drug menace is leading to invasion of privacy of those going to pubs in the name of collecting urine samples even from women, who condemned the highhanded behaviour, while pub goers slammed the police. They lamented that DJ sound and light equipment are seized in the name of violation of norms,

"Despite permissions at pubs, office parties held there are being interrupted by cops, especially on weekends when we come to distress. We have seen cops come early, unannounced and create a panic amongst the owners of the place and the customers. It is understandable that they’re doing their job but it cannot be in execesses. I’m sure their job doesn’t mean they can direct the pub management to shut down, seize DJ systems, harass people and lock the place even before closure time," said Aarti, a chartered accountant.

A software employee, who sought anonymity, said that police can check under the provisions of law, but “harassing in the name of frisking near the washrooms is highly objectionable”.

According to the software engineer, drug menace is a threat to the society and tough measures are required to handle this menace.

“As such demanding us to give urine samples is objectionable and on top of it there were no women constables,” she complained.

Another techie said, “After a long day, if catching up with friends over a drink causes me more stress then it is better we stop going out completely. I don't see how it solves anything apart from moral policing and telling us how to live our lives. I find it traumatizing to have to deal with male cops standing outside the washrooms and picking anyone they feel like and asking for urine samples for a random drug test. Being a woman, my modesty is at stake.”

“Police are meant to create a safe space for us, but now it feels more like we're perpetrators and not victim,” she added.

“In recent months, agencies dealing with drug menace in pubs and other establishments have started using sniffer dogs, which is tantamount to invading our privacy. You see, drugs are easily available outside. As regards NDPS, we are no way concerned about it. It is the duty of the police to tackle drug menace but not by intruding into our privacy with drug kits and sniffers dogs,” said Saroja Reddy, a pub goer.

Advocate and social activist Mohammed Rafiuddin Kaleem said that privacy and rights of an individual should never be infringed or violated in the name of policing, especially that of women. He added that “proper guidelines should be incorporated to make sure that peoples’ rights and privacy are not trampled upon in the attempts to eradicate the drug menace.”

After Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had on January 3 instructed TG police to eradicate drug menace and break the main drug supplying chain, the narcotics bureau came up with a unique strategy to get to the main suppliers with handheld devices that are being used for the first time. When the officer collects a saliva swab or urine sample from a drug consumer the device identifies any drug and the quantity consumed, with time, date and location within six to eight minutes.

“The citizens should understand this and cooperate with the narcotics bureau and other agencies in the state whose only aim is to curb drug menace", a senior police officer from narcotics bureau said.