'Fearless' drug peddler leaves Worli locals fretting about their youth

At a corner of a busy locality on Dr E Moses Road in Worli, Ganpat is the most sorted man post evening. Visited by 50–60 people throughout the day, Ganpat sells Ganja, Charas and other drugs. Consistently following up with the police, residents fear that the youth living there may soon be entrapped by the vice. Understandably, the Worli police is under intense pressure to act against the portly man.

With schools and colleges shut for the summer, concerned parents and other locals have been flooding the Worli police with complaints, but in vain. One of the residents this reporter spoke to said that desperate attempts like dialling #100 have proved futile.

"He makes powder of dried Ganja leaves and puts them in tiny packets weighing hardly 1gm which he sells for Rs100 each. He starts making packets in the afternoon, and by early evening, people start trickling in around the corner," added the resident.

Another resident explained how their hopes are raised on the occasions the cops do respond: "We give Ganpat's exact location, and when the police van arrives, it takes a round but returns empty, without even noticing him," said the resident, adding: "No one can miss him. Ganpat sits openly at Gandhi Nagar, fearless."

A terrifying fear, residents say, is that the youth of the area may get involved in substance abuse. "Middle class families have nothing to look forward to apart from their children's progress in life. Also, under the influence of drugs, this man harasses women in the area," said Timma Bhima Gollar, a resident of Dhobighat Rahivashi Sangh on DS Road and vice-president of Gollar Samaj Seva Mandal. More than 5,000 people from the Gollar community live in the area.

Pravin Dalvi, a resident of Gandhi Nagar, expressed the collective frustration among the residents, saying: "Imagine the police van taking rounds in the area and still turning a blind eye. Affluent people come here to buy from Ganpat, and our children watch the exchange happen."

Dalvi said that curiosity might get the better of the youth, and informed something shocking: "That man gives small portions of leftover (Ganja) leaves powder to whomever is present there at the time, free of cost. He even offers his own smoking pipe."

A resident of Takshashila Co-operative Housing Society on Dr E Moses Road said that it was painful to watch youngsters from 'decent families develop such a bad habit'. "We don't mind him using drugs, but with him openly selling them. There are several youth between the ages of 15 and 25 years who have already become addicted due to this," said 46-year-old Bachchulal Jaiswar, who has been living in the area since 1975.

S Jaykumar, deputy commissioner of police, Zone III said that it was a 'serious issue' and needs to be addressed urgently. "Immediate action will be taken against the culprit. If there are any lapses on the part of the police, then we will definitely inquire into the same," added Jaykumar.