Srinagar: A Sarpanch belonging to ruling National Conference and a policeman have been arrested in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district for trading banned drugs.
Reports said a police officer caught a man coming out from police station Kakapora with bottles of Codeine wrapped in a newspaper. On questioning, the man confessed that a police constable had given him the drugs to be delivered to a local Sarpanch Fayaz Ahmad Dar, son of Abdul Khaliq.
Initial investigation revealed that the cop in question, Syed Ahmed, used to sell drugs from a lot of 1250 Codeine bottles, which police had seized in 2012 from drug peddlers, to the Sarpanch.
The seized drugs were kept in a storeroom of the police station and the constable used to steal from it and later sell the same to Fayaz, the NC Sarpanch of ward 19 A Kakapora, said local news agency CNS.
It said that an aide of the Sarpanch, Feroz Ahmed Dar, son of Bashir Ahmed had entered the police station Kakapora empty handed. “As he was coming out, Guard Commander stopped him at the gate and asked him to show what he had hidden in the newspaper. To his surprise, the man revealed that he was sent by the Sarpanch of the area to collect the banned drugs from (the) policeman,” the CNS said quoting police sources.
The man was immediately put behind the bars along with the accused cop. Later, the Sarpanch Fayaz Dar aka Painter aka Faizan was called to the police station for questioning. As the Sarpanch admitted he had sent the man to collect the drugs, he too was arrested, the CNS said.
It said police was shocked after finding that cellphone of the Sarpanch contained porn video clips, which according to local residents, police deleted later.
Another aide of the Sarpanch identified as Sajad Ahmed Dar, son of Ghulam Hassan, has also been taken into custody, the CNS said, adding that police is investigating the matter as there are apprehensions that the Sarpanch might be involved in ‘exploiting’ women of the area.
Police says it has registered a case (FIR No. 10/2014) and is investigating the case. Deputy Superintendent Headquarters Sajad Ahmed said, “Police had seized some 1250 codeine syrups in 2012 and a case was registered that time. One of our Guard Commanders apprehended police constable red handed while he was trying to take out 10 codeine bottles from police station, and during questioning the said constable confessed that these codeine bottles were meant for Sarpanch Fayaz Ahmed Dar.”
The police officer said the accused constable admitted that so far he has supplied 306 codeine bottles to the Sarpanch. “The accused constable used to steal these bottles from the storeroom of the police chowki Kakapora. We have registered a case and investigation is going on,” the officer told CNS, adding that he does not know anything about the porn clips.
Meanwhile, locals while appreciating the role of police demanded stern action against the accused Sarpanch and his associates. A Kakapora resident told CNS that the accused Sarpanch is not popular in the area as “everyone knows about his habits and tastes.”
“To befool people and police, the Sarpanch with the help of his aide Sajad Dar operates a Facebook page titled, ‘Crime Reporter of Kashmir’ to give an impression that he is against the crime in society,” the resident said.
Locals said that during 2010 agitation, the Sarpanch was responsible for arson and stone-pelting in Kakapora. “This Sarpanch played a leading role in setting government buildings including Community Information Centre, Block Development Office, Girls School Building, Police Chowki and Nayabat Office, on fire in Kakapora,” they said and demanded stern action against him and his associates.
Appreciating the role of police, especially chowki officer Kakapora, Manzoor Ahmed Mir, the residents appealed police to expose all the wrongdoings of the accused Sarpanch and his associates.

Reader correspondent