The arrest of Afghan national Walid Khan,brother-in-law of Congress MLA Randeep Singh Nabha,in the fake passport case on December 25 has not only taken the Chandigarh Police by surprise but has also rung alarm bells for Punjabs Milkfed,popularly known as Verka. As the police await the travel and call details of Khan,living in the city since 1996,investigations revealed that he has been part of milk products supply business in the tricity. Walid,who was sent to judicial custody today,is said to be the man behind Sunrise and Muskaan Enterprises,the firms which have grown to become the main distributor of Verka products in the tricity of Chandigarh,Mohali,Panchkula and neighbouring Zirakpur- together accounting for highest consumption of the Verka products in Punjab. According to the police,Khan claimed that he did not have anything to do with the fake passport except that somebody used his photograph. Investigations are on to ascertain how his photo and similar sounding name Wali Khan was mentioned in the passport along with an address of Nabha. Verka officials said Walid represented the firms at all meetings of Verka. He started dealing in Verka products in 2002. Despite change of regime in Punjab,the two firms have been able to edge out other smaller dealers from the competition. Though there is a shortage of ghee and butter throughout the state,Sunrise Enterprises is able to get it from the ghee manufacturing plant of Verka in Mohali, said a top Verka official of Chandigarh. In fact,against Verkas policy of giving its dahi and paneer products only to fresh milk dealers,his firms are the only exception that received all the products under their distribution chain. The roots of this politico-bureaucratic nexus run deep into the Verka distribution chain and his arrest in the fake passport case can lead to bigger revelations on functioning of Punjabs most profitable marketing cooperative Milkfed,said a police officer. One of the four main distributors of Verka in Chandigarh disclosed that even as consumers in the tricity are reeling under short supply of Verka ghee in the market,it is making its way to other states through the black market. Khans firms have several registered offices at different towns of Punjab and the billing is done from locations outside Chandigarh. Such is his control over the distribution network that we have to wait for the supply of Verka products till as late as 11 am while his firms get it as early as 4 am. Since the distribution business is all about margins,many smaller distributors have been reduced to shopkeepers, he said. Being an Afghan national,the proprietorship of the firms on papers is not in Walids name. The business dealings are done in the name of firms accountant Kamaljeet,sources disclosed. Walid in India1995:First came to India on tourist visa and went back; sister Tahista Khan in India since 19881996:Returned to India on student visa2001:The year when US-led forces invaded Taliban,he applied for refugee status to UN High Commission for Refugees,and got approval till 2011. He stayed back.2009:Foreigners Registration office raised eyebrows on the passport. He was residing in a house in Sector 5 from where he was apprehended.
