Aam Aadmi Party demands CBI inquiry into international drug smuggling case

On November 6, the STF had nabbed four men, including a former sarpanch, with 5.39kg heroin, illegal weapons and high-end cars

Blaming the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congress for drug menace in Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has sought a CBI inquiry into the case wherein the Special Task Force (STF) had nabbed four men, including a former sarpanch, with 5.39kg heroin, illegal weapons and high-end cars.

AAP’s Punjab Youth Wing president Aman Hayer with other party leaders addressing the media in Ludhiana on Monday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

The accused were arrested on November 6 and according to STF, these smugglers were a part of an international drug network.

While addressing a press conference in the city on Monday, AAP MLA and president of the party’s youth wing, Aman Hayer alleged that the pictures of one of the accused, Gurdeep Singh Rano, a former sarpanch of Rano village in Payal area, with senior leaders of SAD and Congress including former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s political advisor Sandeep Sandhu, OSD to CM Ankit Bansal and former cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia among others have surfaced in the last two days.

A CBI inquiry should be conducted to trace all those involved in the international drug racket, he said.

“Congress is hand-in-glove with SAD due to which strict action has not been taken against any worker who has been allegedly involved in cases pertaining to drug peddling in the past. A CBI inquiry should be marked in the case, which should be held under the supervision of Punjab and Haryana high court as a large number of senior SAD and Congress leaders are involved in drug peddling,” said Hayer.

He added that his party MLAs will also raise the matter in the Vidhan Sabha and if needed they will also gherao the houses of ministers including Captain Amarinder Singh over the issue.