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Drug trafficking case: Have proof of Khaira’s links with accused, says officer
The SIT has concrete evidence linking Congress lawmaker Sukhpal Singh Khaira with the prime accused in the 2015 drug trafficking case, an officer from the probe team told HT on Friday
Chandigarh: The special investigation team (SIT) of Punjab police has concrete evidence to prove links between arrested Congress legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira and the main accused in the 2015 drug trafficking case, an officer from the probe team told HT on Friday, requesting anonymity.
Khaira, the three-time Congress MLA from Bholath, was arrested from Chandigarh on Thursday by the Punjab police in connection with the 2015 drug trafficking case. After his arrest, a court at Jalalabad in Fazilka remanded him in police custody for two days.
“During the one-and-a-half-month investigation, we have found concrete linking evidence between Khaira and main accused [in the 2015 case] Gurdev Singh and his other associates,” the SIT member cited above said.
The SIT was formed in April this year to probe into the case which was registered in March 2015 at Jalalabad. Nine people, including Gurdev Singh, who was allegedly a close aide of Khaira, were booked in the case and later convicted under the NDPS Act. Police had recovered 2 kg of heroin, 24 gold biscuits, one country-made pistol, a .315-bore pistol and two Pakistani SIM cards from them.
The SIT officer said that they also have records of calls Khaira had made to senior police officers seeking favour soon after Gurdev’s arrest.
“We have come up with strong evidences related to Khaira calling senior police officers, including IG Faridkot and DIG Ferozepur, after Gurdev’s arrest by Fazilka police,” the SIT officer said. “We have called Joga Singh [Khaira’s personal security officer] to join the investigation and his role will be ascertained after his questioning.”
On the basis of investigation carried by the SIT, the officer added: “Khaira has been arrested and booked under Section 27A (punishment for harbouring offenders), among others, of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.”
The SIT in its report has alleged that though Khaira was not directly involved in the smuggling of drugs, he was aware about “notorious activities” of Gurdev, who was his “close aide” and even funded his elections.
Khaira, however, has denied allegations of having any direct links with Gurdev, saying he had asked the drugs case accused not to call him a long time ago. “Gurdev used to call me... I told him not to call me anymore soon after I came to know about his involvement in drugs case,” Khaira told reporters on Thursday.
