Jalandhar: Chitta costs woman’s two houses, now life

A woman from a well-off family died of drug overdose at Dakoha here yesterday.

A day before her death, her partner from the same locality, who too was addicted, died due to drug consumption.

Addicted to chitta, she had sold all of her assets in the last two years, including two houses that she owned. She had no lodging since then. Residents said she was often seen lying here and there along roadsides in an intoxicated condition.

Her body was found at a durgah in the locality yesterday. A group of men from the village, including AAP leader Balbir Singh Bittu, performed her last rites as there was no one else to perform her funeral.

Bittu said, “She had lost her mother about 15 years ago and was putting up at her maternal grandfather’s place. She lost him too. Her sister too had died mysteriously. Her maternal aunt also died due to acute depression. She was the only one left behind and fell into the bad company.”

Her neighbours said she was never into studies. “She studied till school only, despite being financially stable. She was not inclined at making a career. We often spotted her riding her scooter and a cigarette between her lips. We had heard that she sold off her scooter. A few days later, she sold off the gate of her house. She got demolished a portion of her house and started selling its bricks too. Eventually, she even sold the house she lived in. She did all this to buy herself her daily dose of drugs”, a realtor in the area said.

Shopkeepers in the area said she owed them some money as she would buy stuff but never made a payment. More shockingly, she and her partner were indulging in small thefts to buy intoxicants.

Asked why she was not taken to a de-addiction centre, her neighbours said, “She remained admitted to a de-addiction centre at Kapurthala, completed the treatment but there was a relapse.

She got hooked soon after. She had become so frail and the prick injuries due to frequent use of syringes had become so obvious on her arms and legs. We could sense that her end was near. A self-ruined girl went away too soon”.

Sold everything for drugs

We often spotted her riding her scooter and smoking a cigarette. We had heard that she sold off her scooter. A few days later, she sold off the gate of her house. She got demolished a portion of her house and started selling its bricks too. Eventually, she even sold the house she lived in. She did all this to buy daily dose of drugs. — A realtor