Pune: In the last one month, the Pune city police have booked as many as 210 youngsters for consuming contraband drugs, including marijuana and mephedrone, and registered FIRs against them.The youngsters, according to the Pune city crime branch, did not have commercial quantities of the drugs. Police are counselling these youngsters while simultaneously filing chargesheets against them in court.One of the youngsters, who was nabbed by the Nanded City police in June, was sent to a de-addiction centre by the court after he pleaded guilty for consuming the drugs.Similarly, police stations across the city have taken action against youngsters found consuming drugs. “We have booked 210 youngsters for possessing and consuming drugs on the city roads and bylanes,” said Pune police commissioner Amitesh Kumar.After filing the chargesheet, the courts, after verifying the evidence against them, questioned them and asked whether they wanted to go to prison or to de-addiction centres; the youngsters are opting for the de-addiction programmes.“We aim to send these youngsters to de-addiction centres to help secure their future,” Amitesh Kumar said.“At the same time, we are gathering information from them about drug suppliers and trying to nab drug peddlers and others involved in the narcotics racket,” Kumar said.Police are hopeful that more youngsters will plead guilty in court and be referred to de-addiction centres as part of their rehabilitation. Generally, these youngsters are sent to the government-owned or aided de-addiction centres.
