Drug probe: SIT summons cops who cracked Jagdish Bhola case
Apart from Mann, the SIT has summoned Ludhiana DCP Jaskaran Singh Teja, Nabha DSP Devinder Attri, Rajpura DSP Bikram Singh Brar and former SSP Bhupinder Singh Khatra. These officials had handled the Bhola drug racket case.
The special investigation team (SIT), probing the drug case against the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia, has now summoned the five police officers, including retired DIG Hardial Mann, who had cracked the Jagdish Singh Bhola drug racket case. Majithia was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on December 20, 2021, during the Charanjit Singh Channi-led Congress government’s tenure.
Apart from Mann, the SIT has summoned Ludhiana DCP Jaskaran Singh Teja, Nabha DSP Devinder Attri, Rajpura DSP Bikram Singh Brar and former SSP Bhupinder Singh Khatra. These officials had handled the Bhola drug racket case.
DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar, who is heading the SIT, confirmed that the officers have been summoned. “It is related to the present drug case as the role of some of the accused has also figured in our investigation. As these officers have conducted a probe in the Bhola drug case of 2013, thus they have been asked to provide information related to two accused Parminder Singh Pindi and Satpreet Singh Satta,” he said, refusing to divulge more.
As per sources privy to the development, the summons has been issued under section 160 of the Cr PC in which police officer has the power to require the attendance of witnesses. The summons has been issued after the names of two individuals (Satta and Pindi), who were accused in the Bhola case, surfaced during the SIT probe too.
“As you have conducted the investigation in the year 2013, thus you are asked to join the investigation of SIT to clarify the role of the above accused,” the summons further said. Pertinently, in 2014 Bhola had first named Majithia in the drug case.
As per sources, the SIT has found deficiencies in the working of the officers in the Bhola drug case, particularly three individuals namely Parminder Singh Pindi, Satpreet Singh Satta and Amarinder Chinna alias Laddi Chinna. Satta and Pindi, who are said to be in Canada, are allegedly said to be closely associated with Majathia. Both Satta and Pindi have been declared proclaimed offenders, but the Punjab police have failed to secure their extradition.
Sources said DCP Teja, who was posted as SP in Patiala, when the Bhola drug case was busted, joined the investigation before SIT, while the other skipped the questioning.