Bathinda, May 28
The police today arrested Mr Sadhu Singh Ragi, a member of the SGPC and former president, Market Committee, Bhadur, for his alleged involvement in the smuggling and sale of narcotics.
Yesterday, the district police unveiled the politician-smuggler nexus, involved in the smuggling of narcotics for the past many years in the region, after it seized huge quantities of poppy husk from Sadhu Singh Ragi’s car.
Police sources said Sadhu Singh Ragi was arrested following a tip off. However, unconfirmed sources disclosed that he had surrendered in the Dialpura police station.
Information gathered by TNS revealed that Sadhu Singh Ragi, along with his associates, had been smuggling narcotics from Rajasthan for the past many years with active patronage of a politician of Bathinda district. The accused would bring poppy husk from the Hanumangarh area of Rajasthan in trucks. He used to store the consignments in his farms and other places.
Eight bags of poppy husk, totalling about 240 kg has been seized from his car. Jasbir Singh alias Seera, who was transporting it at the behest of Sadhu Singh Ragi, has also been arrested. Sadhu Singh Ragi has confessed to his crime, police sources said.
The sources added that the police authorities were trying to find out the source from where the accused was getting the poppy husk and opium, apart from the Hanumangarh area.
A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against Jagsir Singh. More disclosures are expected following investigation by the police.
