Opposition corners government on illegal mining in Sutlej, Ravi; govt denies wrongdoing

The Pathankot MLA further said that media houses that report on illegal mining are being threatened and warned. “Who is giving protection to those doing illegal mining? The government must introspect,” he said.

Cabinet Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal, however, dismissed the claim, saying “there is no illegal mining in the state”. He said that action was taken whenever a complaint is received.

Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said he was ready to take the minister to the three rivers and “wherever illegal mining is taking place” and asked if the minister “will accompany” the Opposition leaders. He also demanded the formation of a House Committee on the matter.

Bajwa raises police-gangster nexus

Speaking during the Zero Hour, Bajwa raised the issue of alleged complicity of state police officers in extortion racket run by gangsters. To hammer home his point, the senior Congress leader cited the example of Operation Hard Ball carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and a Punjab Police officer being indicted by the US in an extortion conspiracy case involving an India-based organised crime syndicate.

Bajwa said the disclosures made by the United States Department of Justice are deeply alarming as they allege that Inspector Gurinderjit Singh Nagra, then SHO of Tanda Police Station, colluded with members of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang to extort nearly US $400,000 (approximately Rs 3.8 crore) from an Indian-origin family in California by threatening to falsely implicate innocent family members, including women, in a murder case.

“Operation Hard Ball was conducted by US, Canadian and European police forces against gangs of Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Rohit Godara. The US authorities have said that many Punjab Police officers are involved with gangsters,” he said. The LoP added that the allegations suggest that official police machinery was allegedly misused to facilitate organised crime. “This is not merely a case of individual misconduct but raises serious questions about the functioning of the law enforcement system in Punjab,” Bajwa said.

Bajwa went on to say that people in Punjab are getting extortion calls in routine and many state police officers are involved. “In a drugs case, one Assistant Inspector General (AIG) is wanted and he is alleged to be missing for past several years. A DSP, wanted in another case, is seen working at his petrol pumps business and his agriculture land but the Punjab Police cannot locate him. If the government was serious in curbing crime then in past four years you would have at least appointed a permanent DGP. You have appointed an ad hoc DGP. Do some discussion on it,” he said.

Bajwa demanded that the Punjab government table a comprehensive report in the Vidhan Sabha detailing the facts of the case, the action taken against all those allegedly involved, the status of departmental and criminal proceedings, and the concrete measures being implemented to dismantle any alleged police-gangster nexus.

He further noted that following the FBI disclosures, the Punjab Police transferred the officer concerned, initiated a departmental inquiry and subsequently arrested him in an extortion case under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He said that while the US investigation does not allege institutional wrongdoing by the Punjab Police as a whole, the revelations underscore the urgent need for greater accountability, stronger internal vigilance and complete transparency to restore public confidence in law enforcement.

AAP MLA Kuldeep Dhaliwal and several other ruling party MLAs objected to Bajwa’s statement. “Bajwa makes allegations against our party without any reason,” said Dhaliwal.

Industries Minister Aman Arora said that Bajwa raised a relevant point but politicised it and therefore made it ineffective. “You can take out the Vidhan Sabha records of 2021. In it, there are on record allegations by Bikram Singh Majithia and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa against each other for colluding with gangsters. Each said that Jaggu bhagwapuria was the product of the other. We are dealing with thorns planted by you,” he told Bajwa.