The youths were detained on suspicion of drug peddling, however, according to the police, no contraband was found in their possession during an intensive frisking conducted by a police team from the nearby Barmana police station.

Laghat village of Bilaspur falls under Barmana gram panchayat, which is among the 247 panchayats identified as most sensitive to drug abuse — particularly chitta (heroin) — in Himachal Pradesh. Thakur was addressing a protest organised by the Bilaspur BJP against what the party termed the rising “terror of drugs” in the state. He also led a protest march from Bilaspur’s main market to Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rahul Kumar’s office and submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister to the DC, demanding immediate withdrawal of cases registered against the women.

The Leader of the Opposition said the government was resorting to “event management and showmanship” instead of taking concrete action against drug traffickers. He alleged that drug abuse was spreading rapidly across Himachal Pradesh, including remote areas that are otherwise difficult to access. “Young people are dying on roads due to drug overdoses. The situation is horrifying, yet instead of acting against drug dealers, the government is targeting women who are raising their voices against drugs,” he said.

Questioning the role of the police, Thakur asked why action was not taken when women informed authorities about drug-related activities. He said used syringes were frequently found in village bushes, indicating rampant drug abuse. “Why are women being forced to patrol villages to protect their families? This is a failure of governance. The job of the police is being done by ordinary citizens, and they are being punished for it,” he said.

Thakur said the previous BJP government under him had coordinated with neighbouring states to curb drug trafficking, as many offenders had links outside Himachal Pradesh. He claimed that joint meetings with Chief Ministers and senior officials of neighbouring states had yielded positive results. “In the last three years of the present government, not a single such coordination meeting has been held,” he alleged.

The former CM further criticised a recent anti-drug walkathon organised in Bilaspur, alleging that BJP MLAs from the district were not invited, while individuals accused of drug-related activities were seen on the stage. He questioned the government’s intent, stating that those genuinely fighting drugs should be supported and honoured, not booked under criminal cases.

Pinki Sharma, pradhan of Mahila Mandal Laghat, had told The Indian Express that the FIR was registered against the group without recording their version during the initial inquiry.

“The complainant along with his two accomplices was assaulting a youth in our village when we intervened and called the police around 11 am on Monday. When we called the police on the spot, the complainant made us talk to his family members pleading forgiveness. Later, we came to know that an FIR had been registered against us. We also met SP Sandeep Dhawal in his office. So far, we have not received any communication from the police,” she had said.

Police registered a case at Barmana police station under Sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 356(2) (defamation), 191(2) (rioting), 190 (unlawful assembly) and 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Sources said the FIR comprises bailable offences and no arrests have been made so far.