Shirdi Suffers from Drugs Spillover Syndrome ~

[rOhit beHaL]

Explaining the fundamentals of Marijuana/Ganja usage in and around Shirdi,
Dr.Yusuf Merchant, considered one of India’s leading anti-drug crusaders
and founder President of Drug Abuse Information Rehabilitation & Research Centre,
alleged that drug abuse in places like Shirdi was as high as 5-7 %.
“There was always Ganja in Shirdi as followers of certain sects believe that this form of intoxication brings them closer to God
and so is used by sadhus as part of their religious rites. But in the last couple of years, more and more locals are also getting addicted."
Drugs came from Andhra Pradesh & Aurangabad and was distributed from Nashik and Kopergaon to smaller hamlets.

“According to WHO (World Health Organization) standards if, in any region, more than 1% population is found consuming drugs,
it is classified as an epidemic." He added that in case of Shirdi, it was a case of what he deemed as Apple Cart or Spill-Over Syndrome,
where the yuppy crowd from Mumbai stopped for a quick fix, essentially influenced the locals. Apart from basic drugs like marijuana,
more elaborate party drugs are now making inroads into smaller pockets surrounding Mumbai.
“If left unchecked, the growing number of drug users in the area is bound to explode in the near future
and lead to a major law and order situation as drugs are notorious for causing behavioral imbalances.”

The Additional Superintendent of Police`Ahmednagar District said that “Strict action will be taken against offenders,
who were in fact defiling a place (Shirdi) which is associated with religious sentiments of crores of devotees”.





On 22nd April`2008, during a nakabandi (police checkpoints),
a 45-year-old man in a taxi was detained by the Kurla police during routine checking at Lion Gate area in Mumbai.
While the police found a handbag containing tiger prawns, the passenger's suspicious behavior led to further investigations
by the police who ultimately found 4 kg of Charas hidden under the Prawns. During interrogation, the man apparently confessed
that the consignment was marked for Shirdi, where drug abuse was rampant and the demand, immense.
The accused was charged under the Narcotics Act and remanded to police custody.

*


On 15th February`2012, three bags containing 58 kg ganja (Marijuana, pot, cannabis, weed)
were seized by the police from a car parked outside the Sai Baba Temple in Shirdi`Maharashtra.
On a tip-off that a contraband was being transported, the police had laid a trap
and zeroed in on a car parked outside the Sai Temple & arrested a man hailing from Andhra Pradesh.

*






On 20th April`2013, an employee of the Shirdi Saibaba Trust spotted an unattended suitcase lying
at the main entrance of 'Sai Bhakta Niwas' - a residential facility for devotees on the temple premises @ Shirdi.
Panic gripped among the people in the premises, following which the Police & Bomb Detection Squad were summoned.
On Investigations the bag was found to contain 10 kgs Ganja, valued at Rs.1 lakh.

*


On 26th September`2013, the Cyberabad police nabbed 4 persons, for possession of 1,000 kg Ganja, valued at over Rs.60 lakh,
which they were allegedly transporting from Odisha to Shirdi`Maharashtra in a van after hiding it in a special cabin made in the vehicle.
The accused were natives of Manchal`Andhra Pradesh and were transporting the contraband for the past 2 years to Shirdi.
They used to hand it over to their accomplice in Shirdi, who in turn,
used to pay them a commission of Rs.1 lakh per trip apart from Rs.50,000 towards transport expenditure.
The gang was held Outer Ring Road (ORR) stretch from Pedda Amberpet in Rangareddy district, AP, India.











Then:
The wOrld was nOrmal,
and peOple tOOk Acid tO make it Weird.

nOw:
The wOrld is Weird,
and peOple take PrOzac to make it nOrmal !
.....unknOwn







"Just say YES, tO saying NO,
tO saying YES tO DRUGS !"
....unknOwn


rOhitbeHaL