Drug racket probe: Finally, Phillaur’s son appears before ED

After being summoned four times by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to join investigation in the Bhola drug racket case, Damanvir Singh, son of senior Akali leader and former minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur, appeared before the probe agency on Tuesday. This was four months after he was first summoned in February as arrested druglord Jagdish Bhola named him.

After being summoned four times by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to join investigation in the Bhola drug racket case, Damanvir Singh, son of senior Akali leader and former minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur, appeared before the probe agency on Tuesday. This was four months after he was first summoned in February as arrested druglord Jagdish Bhola named him.

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Damanvir, a senior vice-president of the Youth Akali Dal, entered the ED office around 10 am and was interrogated for seven and a half hours. Sources in the ED said he was quizzed about links with Bhola and his business ventures. He also submitted details of his passport and the sources of income of himself and his family. Upon coming out, Damanvir said he was asked several questions, but, “I cannot disclose details as this was part of the investigation. I answered to the best to my knowledge.”

As per Bhola’s statement to the ED, Damanvir had introduced Varinder ‘Raja’, a Delhi-based synthetic drug supplier, to Goraya-based businessman Chunni Lal Gaba and his son who have already been arrested. It was alleged that Varinder used to get pseudoephedrine (chemical used to make synthetic drugs) from a pharmaceutical factory in Gagret, Himachal Pardesh, owned by Gaba, a close confidant of Damanvir’s father.