Mumbai: In a letter to the Union government on Monday, the All India Drugs Control Officers’ Confederation members demanded security for drug inspectors across the country. The move comes two weeks after zonal licensing authority Dr Neha Shoree was brutally murdered in Punjab when she refused to give a licence to a pharmacist.
Calling drug inspectors vulnerable to threats, experts and a “demoralised” drug control fraternity have called for measures, such as wireless system, vehicles, security and a barbed fence around the office for them.
The officials often conduct raids to keep a check on spurious drugs and illegal transit and sale of habit-forming drugs and intoxicants in the pharmaceutical business, which is on the rise. Thus, they face a big threat from those dealing in illegal activities, particularly from the drug mafia.
S W Deshpande, honorary, director general, All India Drug Control Officers Federation, said, they have taken a serious approach to the matter of security and incident in Punjab has prompted the drug inspectors to discuss their safety as far as conducting raids are concerned.
“We have 58 drug inspectors in the state. We seek police cover during raids for which letter is been submitted to the government. The drug inspectors life is at risk while conducting raid or dealing with illegal drug mafia,” said Deshpande.
He added the further course of action will be decided after receiving the Union govt’s reply. “We had launched a massive social media campaign after the brutal killing of Dr Neha Shoree in Punjab. A large number of people had joined our campaign,” added Deshpande,
Dr Neha Shoree (36), Zonal Licensing Authority (ZLA) was killed by a pharmacist whose licence she had cancelled in 2009. The accused, Balwinder Singh, had also shot himself when he was cornered by a mob while trying to escape from Dr Shoree’s office, and later succumbed to his injuries. The shocking daylight murder of a woman drug inspector in Punjab has revealed the story of a grudge a man was holding against her for nearly 10 years.
