Court summons Sukhpal Singh Khaira in drug smuggling case

Khaira was described as the “kingpin” of the drugs smuggling case in the application moved before the court by the Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) of Fazilka seeking summons to the Aam Aadmi Party leader to face trial.

Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Sukhpal Singh Khaira Drug smuggling case, Khaira drug smuggling, Punjab leader of opposition, Punjab news, Indian Express News

AAP leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira at his residdence in Chandigarh Wednesday. (Express photo by Jaipal Singh)

A Fazilka court has summoned Punjab’s Leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira along with four others in connection with a drugs case. Khaira was described as the “kingpin” of the drugs smuggling case in the application moved before the court by the Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) of Fazilka seeking summons to the Aam Aadmi Party leader to face trial.

The application, moved by APP Gurbaj Singh on September 21 this year, sought the summoning of Khaira along with four others, including his PA and personal security officer, under Section 319 of the CrPC. Made public by Khaira himself on Wednesday, the application said that specific role of Sukhpal Khaira was found in the commission of crimes in an ongoing drug smuggling case. The summons were issued on Tuesday. Khaira’s name had come up in the case after the arrest of some drug smugglers by police in Fazilka in 2015.

On Tuesday, the court had sentenced nine persons to imprisonment, ranging from three years to 20 years, after finding them guilty in the case which dates back to March 2015. At that time, Khaira was a spokesperson of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee and was yet to join AAP. Those sentenced to imprisonment include Gurdev Singh, a former Chairman of Dhilwan Market Committee, whom Khaira has acknowledged to have known.Apart from Khaira, summons were issued to Joga Singh (his PSO), Manish (his personal assistant), one Major S Singh, and Charanjit Kaur, a UK resident and sister of Gurdev.

In the application, Khaira has been alleged to have been in touch with Gurdev Singh through the mobile phone of his PSO Joga Singh and spoke to him 65 times between February 27, 2015 and March 8, 2015. The APP’s application states that there were frequent calls between Khaira and Gurdev Singh. Singh, who was on the run after an FIR was registered against him, had allegedly spoken to Khaira even a day before his arrest on March 8, 2015. The APP said that Khaira, through his PSO and PA, Gurdev Singh and Charanjit Kaur, was “operating” a gang.

It has been alleged that Khaira was making use of his PA and PSO’s mobile phones to speak to Gurdev Singh and Charanjit Kaur. “All these persons with criminal intentions were making calls to each other to avoid electronic surveillance,” the APP’s application states.

However, refuting all allegations, Sukhpal Khaira said that he had spoken to a few people with his PSO’s mobile phone because his phone was not working at that moment. “My PSO was detained by the police for 15 days in 2015 and nothing came out of it. Even the SIT did not find anything incriminating and thus, my name was not included in the FIR or the chargesheet,” he said.

Khaira added that speaking to someone on phone was not an offence and that the summons issued to him by the court, based on the application made by the APP, was against established directions of the Supreme Court in this regard.

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