Jagdish Bhola among 5 acquitted in drug case, two men get 12-year jail

A local court on Thursday acquitted former deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Jagdish Singh Bhola, businessman Jagjit Singh Chahal, former Akali leader Maninder Singh Aulakh ‘ Bittu’, and former head constables Dharamvir Singh and Sandeep Singh in a 1-kg heroin recovery case from two men. Those two men, Dalbir Singh and Tarsem Singh, got 12 years in jail, though.

A local court on Thursday acquitted former deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Jagdish Singh Bhola, businessman Jagjit Singh Chahal, former Akali leader Maninder Singh Aulakh ‘ Bittu’, and former head constables Dharamvir Singh and Sandeep Singh in a 1-kg heroin recovery case from two men. Those two men, Dalbir Singh and Tarsem Singh, got 12 years in jail, though.

Bhola, considered the kingpin of the larger drug trade in Punjab, will remain in jail as he is accused in several other cases.(HT File Photo)

Bhola, considered the kingpin of the larger drug trade in Punjab, will remain in jail as he is accused in several other cases too.

Dalbir of Kapurthala and Tarsem of Baser Ki Bheni in Amritsar were also fined Rs 1 lakh each too. In case they fail to pay that, they will have to undergo an additional one-year imprisonment. Both were arrested by Lambra police here on December 24, 2013, with the heroin. The five others, including Bhola, were made co-accused based on their alleged revelations.

Meanwhile, police had banned the entry of photojournalists in the court complex when Bhola and others were presented.