K'taka drug case: Narcotics supplied to students through food deliveries, LSD as watch tag

Udupi (Karnataka), Feb 24 (IANS) The probe into the drugs case involving medical, other students and professors in coastal Karnataka has revealed shocking details. Sources said that the substances made their way into the students' rooms through online food deliveries, and LSD was procured in the form of watch description tags.

The Karnataka Police department, which has been cracking down on the�drug menace in the coastal region, found a racket involving medical students and professors in Mangaluru in January. A total of 24 people were arrested in the case among which 22 were from the medical fraternity.

Doctors from Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana and New Delhi, including women, all in their 20's and 30's were arrested. Kasturba Medical College in Mangaluru terminated the services of two medical doctors on charges of drug peddling and consumption.

Likewise, the police cracked the whip in neighbouring Udupi district, known as an education hub, on the roots of the drug mafia. Superintendent of Police (SP) Hakay Akshay Machhindra had prevailed upon the education institutions to initiate action against the students who were into drugs and drug peddling.

The Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) in Udupi district had suspended 42 students for a period of a month following the direction by the police department.

Police sources explained that many students were turned into drug peddlers and many have been arrested. The students consumed MDMA, LSD and ganja. The drugs were supplied to the rooms of medical, management, hotel management and engineering students.

The students used to order food from online food aggregators and drug substances came in the food parcels late in the night. The fact came to light after the arrest of a delivery boy, police said.

The LSD was sent in the form of watch description tags. The students used to get these on the pretext of ordering watches, sources explained.

The police teams, which conducted raids on student hostels in Udupi, were shocked to find piles of condoms in the rooms and hostel premises. The police sources said that boys and girls consumed drugs together. It had become common to give drugs to their girlfriends.

The investigation has revealed that the drug was supplied to Udupi and Manipal from Mangaluru, Kerala and Goa. The drug mafia had established a network of drug peddlers among the student community. Many went to Goa on the pretext of weekend trips and brought drugs to their hostels.

The police department has appreciated the cooperation of the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) by taking firm action on students to end the menace.