Ludhiana court acquits ‘drug lord’ Raja Kandola, accomplice in heroin case

Kandola is currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail.

A native of Happowal village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr) district, Kandola had shifted to the UK in late 1990s. He was booked in multiple drug cases by Punjab Police. He was also infamously known as “ICE drug lord” for allegedly running a racket manufacturing party drugs from methamphetamine to ephedrine, and getting heroin supply from Pakistan, according to police claims. He owned multiple properties across Punjab, the UK and the US, and many of his properties have already been attached by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in cases of money laundering.

The Ludhiana court on Thursday acquitted Kandola and Gurnam Singh in the FIR registered by Punjab Police’s Special Task Force (STF) at Ludhiana’s Moti Nagar police station on July 19, 2017.

According to the case details, two other accused — Palwinderjeet Singh Sidhu, alias Pinda and Ravinder Singh, alias Ravi — were held for allegedly smuggling heroin. A total of 5 kg heroin was recovered from them. The police had further claimed that Kandola, who was then lodged in Kapurthala jail, was allegedly in touch with Pakistan-based drug smugglers and had facilitated smuggling of heroin with the connivance of Pinda and Ravi from the neighboring country for distribution among his clients. The FIR was registered under sections 22, 27A and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Moti Nagar police station.

Advocate S C Gupta, counsel for Kandola, said that the police failed to prove the charges against Kandola and Gurnam Singh. “The court has acquitted both Raja Kandola and Gurnam Singh due to lack of evidence. The prosecution failed to establish allegations that Kandola was in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers via phone from jail,” said Gupta.

Pinda and Ravi were declared proclaimed offenders after they did not appear in the hearings after getting bail, said Gupta. “The police had claimed a recovery of 2.50 kg heroin each from Ravi and Pinda. There was no recovery from Kandola,” said Gupta.

Public prosecutor in the case, Advocate Manjit Singh, confirmed that Kandola and Gurnam Singh have been acquitted by the court.

Advocate Gupta added that Kandola in his defence had submitted in the court that he was implicated in “false drug cases” by “tainted cop” inspector Inderjeet Singh, now dismissed. The cop was dismissed from service after alleged recovery of 14 kg heroin, AK-47 rifle and Rs 16 lakh from his official residence in Phagwara in 2017.

“Kandola is currently lodged in Tihar Jail and facing trial in a case registered in Delhi. He has been acquitted in four cases and discharged in three others which were registered in Punjab,” said Gupta.

On December 20 last year, Kandola and 13 others were acquitted by a court in Jalandhar in the infamous ICE (methamphetamine), heroin and other party drugs supply case of 2012. The court had acquitted all accused, including Kandola, his wife Rajwant Kaur, son Bally Singh and others, on the basis of “benefit of doubt” after the Punjab Police failed to provide enough evidence against them.

The FIR was registered by Jalandhar rural police on June 1, 2012, at Kartarpur police station claiming that Kandola and his accomplices were involved in manufacturing and supplying ICE drug to several party clubs across Punjab and the country and were involved in manufacturing ICE using methamphetamine. The Punjab Police had pegged the drug racket at Rs 200 crore. Kandola was arrested by Delhi Police in August 2012 after he managed to escape from the custody of Punjab Police.

He was also known as “BMW King” for his love for luxury cars and the FIR also mentioned that he supplied drugs to his clients in high-end vehicles.