Give death penalty to peddlers: Ajit Pawar

Mumbai: Legislators Friday demanded capital punishment for drug peddlers. Former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said that apart from Mumbai, Thane and Nagpur, the remaining cities in Maharashtra, too, had witnessed an increase in drug consumption.

If needed, a provision ought to be made for capital punishment to those selling drugs, he said. The state said that the statute would be amended to prevent the sale of drugs. Mr Pawar said that foreigners who arrived here were trading in drugs and needed to be banned.

Raising the issue of drugs through a calling attention motion, NCP legislators Jitendra Awhad and Jayant Patil among others said that drugs were being supplied through post and courier. The members of the house demanded action against the same.

Mr Pawar rued that youth of the state was indulging in drug addiction and that the lives of the youth were being ruined. More than Rs 1,000 crore worth of drugs had been seized in the state which was a matter of serious concern.

Mr Pawar said that as the parents of the youth were busy in their respective professions, they were unable to pay attention to them. Therefore, strict laws were needed to curb the drug trade.

Minister of state for home Dr Ranjit Patil said that the relevant statute would be amended and strictly implemented across the state.