In a significant operation against narcotics, police have arrested nine key members of the Sonu Gang, an interstate drug trafficking network that has been actively distributing chitta (heroin) in the Rampur region of Shimla district.
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
Adital Rathore (35) – Paljara village, Rampur Tehsil
Gagan (31) – Rampur Bushahr
Naveen Chauhan (26) – Kalmog village, Nankhari Tehsil
Rajan Mehta (33) – Lailan village, Nankhari
Mohit Agarwal (32) – Rampur Bushahr
Ujjwal Pandit (30) – Rampur Bushahr
Sanjeev Kumar (30) – Lalsa village, Rampur
Kushal Chauhan (21) – Karali, Rampur
Rajkumar (31) – Matreved village, Rampur
According to Rampur SDPO Naresh Sharma, a case has been registered against the accused under the NDPS Act, and investigations are ongoing. Police are currently interrogating 60 to 70 more individuals suspected of being involved in heroin purchase and distribution.
The crackdown follows a March 3 operation, where the gang’s kingpin, Sohan Lal alias Sonu (25) of Saloh village (Mandi), and his associate Geeta Shreshth (25), also from Mandi, were arrested with 26.68 gm of chitta near Nerath, Shimla. Authorities also seized mobile phones, jewellery, and assets worth Rs 4.5 lakh during the arrest.
Further investigation revealed financial irregularities, with Rs 88 lakh transferred through the gang’s bank accounts. So far, assets worth Rs 9.22 lakh, including Rs 4.72 lakh in frozen accounts, have been seized.
The bust is considered one of the largest in recent months in Himachal Pradesh’s ongoing battle against drug syndicates.
