Post-Saji arrest,cracks surface in ‘cracked’ cases

Sources disclosed that several people,including a taxi-stand operator in Sector 37 (also son of a former police officer),two residents of Khuda Ali Sher,a social activist based in Sector 37 and a forensic investigator,have figured as witnesses in nearly a dozen cases cracked by the NCB during and before the tenure of Saji Mohan.

Interestingly,a number of NCB officials in the dock,including Intelligence Officer Ravi Kant Pawar (under suspension at present after CBI arrested him on graft charges),Balwinder Kumar (superintendent,being questioned by the Anti-Terrorist Squad at present in relation to Saji Mohan’s alleged nefarious activities) and Intelligence Officer Hardesh Kumar (posted with the NCB at present) are all residents of Sector 37,Chandigarh.

Certain documents (also in possession of Newsline) pertaining to cases ‘cracked’ by the NCB during Saji’s tenure and even before him,leave several questions unanswered.

The Cases
Baljinder,Sukhjinder and John Kennedy case (Seizure : 8 kg heroin)
Case: In December 2007,Baljinder Singh,his son Sukhjinder Singh and their Nigerian accomplice John Kennedy were nabbed by the NCB team headed by Intelligence Officer Hardesh Kumar. Eight kilograms of heroin was seized from their possession.

Recoveries: The cash-recoveries made by the NCB team were Rs 500 from Baljinder,Rs 200 from Sukhjinder and a Nigerian currency of 20 denomination from Kennedy. Interestingly,Baljinder ‘confessed’ he purchased the contraband for an amount ranging between Rs 40 and 50 lakh.

Controversy: Baljinder’s wife Amarjit Kaur and his friends recently levelled serious allegations against Saji Mohan and his team,particularly Superintendent Balwinder Kumar. They accused Kumar of demanding Rs 1 crore as bribe to release Baljinder and Sukhjinder.

Amarjit also showed photographs of a badly-hurt Sukhjinder and alleged that the NCB sleuths tortured him to force him to confess to the crime. The case is now being re-investigated by senior NCB officials.

Naresh Kumar and Rajesh Kumar (Seizure: 5 kg heroin)
Case: In 2005,two brothers from Ludhiana,Naresh and Rajesh,were arrested from the Sector-45 roundabout while allegedly on way to deliver five packets of heroin to an American national called JO. Naresh reportedly confessed that he was to receive USD 50,000 for the packets.

Recoveries: While the NCB could never catch JO,they recovered Rs 600 from Rajesh,Rs 1,400 and $50 from Naresh. The NCB interrogation report fails to explain how Naresh managed to have the $50 note in his possession.

Controversy: One of the witnesses in the case turned hostile saying that he was “pressurised” by the NCB to sign on seizure-papers as a witness on the day he was attending a court-hearing at Sonepat.

Following this,the NCB proceeded against the witness as well. The case is pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Lior Avi Ben Moyal case (Seizure: 155 kg charas)
Case: Working on a tip-off,the NCB raided a unit in Industrial Area Phase-I and nabbed Lior Avi Ben Moyal,an Israeli national,and recovered 155 kg of charas. Lior even managed to escape from the NCB’s custody on the first night of his arrest. He was caught the following morning near Panjab University.

Controversy: The investigations ran into rough weather when Lior’s fiancé,Lada,levelled serious allegations on NCB officials. The CBI nabbed Intelligence Officer Ravi Kant Pawar and Paramjit Singh on graft charges.

Interestingly,Pawar and Singh,while out on bail,were once again caught on camera by Lada and her friend,for striking a deal and allegedly demanding Rs 2 crore for helping Lior. The incident left loopholes in the prosecution’s case.

About a fortnight ago,the Punjab and Haryana High Court obtained Pawar’s voice samples to match it with those caught on camera. Lada had also alleged that the NCB officials let off a man named Irani,the main conduit in the drug-trafficking racket,after he paid them a huge amount of money. Paramjit had reportedly confessed the same to Lada’s friend,which was also caught on camera.

Deputy Director General (NCB) Dr Ish Kumar said a team of NCB officers is verifying the cases registered by the agency’s Chandigarh zonal unit in the last 10 years.

Cases led by Mohan and team
* A man called Naveen Uppal arrested and 10 kg of charas recovered from his possession
* Amritsar resident Liakat Ali arrested and recovered 4 kg of heroin from his possession
* Punjab residents Harpal and Ompal were nabbed and 3 kg heroin recovered from their possession
* Punjab residents Suresh Kumar and Amarjit Singh were nabbed with 3 kg heroin and 110 grams cocaine
* Punjab residents Paramjit Singh,Harpreet Singh and Sukhwinder were nabbed with 2 kg heroin
* Paramjit Singh and Festus Benson,a Burundi national,were nabbed with 8 kg heroin