Drug racket: Pratap Singh Bajwa moves HC, seeks CBI probe

Bajwa, who had also approached the high court last year, was allowed by the court to assist it as an intervenor.

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“The proliferation of the drug racket has inflicted serious damage and poses catastrophic consequences on the future of the state and the country as a whole and thereby warrants an independent investigation that inspires confidence and credibility,” Bajwa has submitted.

Bajwa has also mentioned that a perusal of the case record would demonstrate that while the ED, investigating money laundering angle to the racket, found it necessary to summon Majithia for his alleged involvement but the Punjab Police, probing offences under the NDPS Act and the Indian Penal Code, has given a clean chit to Majithia.

“There is clear contradiction and conflict between the two investigations despite the fact that the accused persons such as Jagdish Singh Bhola, Jagjit Singh Chahal and Bittu Aulakh are common to both the investigations and have deposed to the ED of the alleged involvement of Bikram Singh Majithia and hence leaves no manner of doubt that there is a massive cover up operation underway by the Punjab police to shield and protect Bikram Singh Majithia and other high-ups whose names have come under scrutiny for their alleged complicity including Sarwan Singh Phillaur, SAD MLA, his son Damanvir Singh Phillaur and Avinash Chander, CPS, Punjab,” Bajwa has alleged.

He has further added that a drug racket of this scale could not have thrived “without the active collusion of powerful quarters of the ruling dispensation in the state.”

He has mentioned that to compound the doubt regarding the impartial inquiry, ED’s assistant director Niranjan Singh was transferred out in January to “scuttle the investigations”.

Also, recently, ED’s special public prosecutor Suresh Batra who had prepared the chargesheets in the drug racket case has also been transferred to Bangalore, Bajwa has mentioned.

Bajwa’s petition also says that the ED had submitted before the high court earlier about alleged intimidation of its officer by the Punjab CID and this also demonstrates serious attempts by the Punjab police to interfere with the course of investigation.

The petitioner has submitted that the Supreme Court in case “State of West Bengal versus Committee on Protection of Democratic Rights, West

Bengal and others” has stated that offences having national and international ramifications should be entrusted to the CBI and thus the probe being conducted by the Punjab police ought to be transferred to CBI.

The petition would come up for hearing on Wednesday.