The police have made a seizure of Rs 2.34 crore worth property including three pet dogs from the house of a drug peddler now in jail for commission of series offences under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The assets of the accused Somanath Bhujabal (30) were confiscated yesterday from Khordha model police station jurisdiction. The man is facing trial in at least four NDPS cases besides a case of rape. Incidentally his father is also booked under NDPS act and is now in judicial custody. The confiscation of the assets including the dogs was made as there were the proceeds of the crime and were ill-gotten wealth, police said.
Involved in drug peddling for the past seven years, Bhujabal amassed wealth to the tune of Rs 2.34 crore. The amended provisions of NDPS Act entailed the seizure and forfeiture of ill-gotten property of the accused involved in NDPS cases, police said.
The assets owned by the accused included among other things a two-storey residential building of an estimated cost of Rs 1.10 crore, Rs 13.50 lakh gold ornaments and eleven vehicles. The cost of the three dogs was found out to be Rs 50,000.
The property attachment was carried out after a quasi judicial body allowed for the forfeiture of property in the NDPS case. A detailed proposal for confirmation of seizure/forfeiture of the properties earned out of contraband drugs trade was sent to the office of Competent Authority, Kolkata as per provision of Sec. 68 (F) NDPS Act, 1985.
The confiscated properties including the dogs will be auctioned to the higher bidder after the competent authorities grant a fresh order in this regard. The pets are being duly taken care of by the skilled dog squad personnel of the State police.
It may be recalled here that on 5 October last, ill-gotten property worth Rs crore owned by ten drug peddlers was impounded by the Malkangiri district police.