The Mundhwa police have preventively detained a 32-year-old woman under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act, 1988. Officials confirmed this marks the first time Pune city police have invoked the stringent law against a repeat drug offender, following similar precedent set in Navi Mumbai and Nagpur.
The detainee, identified as Reena Ravi Ghumane, was lodged at the Kolhapur Central Prison in Kalamba under police escort. The law empowers authorities to preventively detain individuals suspected of repeated involvement in illegal drug trafficking to curb future criminal activities.
Ghumane was first booked by the Mundhwa police in 2022 under the NDPS Act and was later granted bail by the Pune Sessions Court. Despite being out on bail, she allegedly resumed selling illegal narcotics. This led to a second case registered against her in May 2025. After securing bail a second time, senior police officers reviewed her criminal history and concluded that normal prosecution was insufficient to stop her drug-related activities.
Unlike standard NDPS cases that focus on prosecuting a specific crime in court, the PIT-NDPS Act serves as an extended preventive measure. A formal detention proposal was submitted through the Pune Police Commissioner to the competent authority, which granted approval for her immediate detention.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 6) Jeevan Beniwal explained that the PIT-NDPS Act allows law enforcement to place habitual offenders under preventive detention once specific criteria are met. Senior Police Inspector Smita Vasnik of Mundhwa police station added that this action marks a major step forward in using strong preventive measures to combat the local drug trade in Pune.
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