Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 22 April 2025
In a major breakthrough against narcotics trafficking, Hutbay Police on Sunday night arrested a 40-year-old man from Sri Vijaya Puram for possessing 1.473 kilograms of illicit ganja near SBI Branch at Hutbay Bazaar. The accused, Raghulal Barui, a resident of Chandni Chowk, South Point, Sri Vijaya Puram, had allegedly procured the contraband from Kolkata.
The operation was spearheaded by SI G. Mohan Rao, Station House Officer of Hutbay Police Station, who received a tip-off around 9:05 PM on April 20. Acting swiftly, SI Rao informed Mr. Firoz Alam, DANIPS, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Swaraj Dweep, who directed the formation of a special raiding team.
The team included:
• SI G. Mohan Rao, SHO, PS Hutbay
• HC/417 Vinod Kumar
• PC/1534 M. Sudarshan Rao
• PC/1005 Kuldeep Kumar
• HC(D)/2552 P. Thanga Dhurai
As per legal protocol, Mr. Ajay Mondal, Tehsildar of Little Andaman, was informed and joined the team as a gazetted officer for the raid.
The team arrived at the SBI Branch area in Hutbay Bazaar. Two local residents served as independent witnesses.
The suspect was intercepted near the Hutbay Bazaar bus stand. On being questioned, he identified himself as Raghulal Barui, son of Late Indiramohan Barui. After being informed of his legal rights under the NDPS Act, Barui consented to be searched.
A transparent plastic bag concealed in his luggage was found to contain a substance suspected to be ganja. A preliminary test using a drug detection kit confirmed the suspicion. The ganja weighed 1.473 kilograms, and was sealed, labeled, and seized in the presence of the witnesses, with all procedures video recorded via the e-Sakshya app.
Barui later confessed that he had procured the ganja from Kolkata, brought it to Sri Vijaya Puram by flight, and then transported it further to Hut Bay. He was arrested on the spot at 10:15 PM and charged under Section 20(b)(ii)(B) of the NDPS Act, 1985.