Mohali, January 6
Alleged international drug peddler Jagdish Singh Bhola today claimed that Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia was involved in the multi-crore drug racket.

Bhola, a dismissed Punjab Deputy Superintendent of Police, along with his four associates, was arrested from an eatery on the GT Road at Ghanaur, near Delhi, on November 11 last year.

Synthetic drugs worth crores of rupees were seized from the accused, who is the alleged mastermind of the Rs 700-crore synthetic drug racket exposed by the Jalandhar Rural, Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala district police.

Levelling serious allegations against the minister while talking to mediapersons in the Mohali district courts complex at Phase 3B1 here today, Bhola claimed that his interrogation in police remand was stopped immediately after a phone call was made by Majithia.

“The police stopped interrogating me during my police remand after getting a phone call from Majithia,” said Bhola while being taken for a court hearing in the case.

When asked whether he was taking the minister’s name in the case, he answered in the affirmative. He also alleged that he had told the CIA staff, Patiala, about the involvement of the minister and that the minister had called up the police several times in this connection.

Coming to the defence of his minister and relative, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said, “Bhola is making an attempt to give political colour to the story to make it sound interesting. His allegation makes no sense because it was us who caught him. Why should we have done that if anyone from us was involved? Why did he remain silent earlier and now suddenly getting interested in taking names?” said Sukhbir.

“I was pressured into keeping quiet about the names of the ministers involved in the case. There is danger to my life,” claimed Bhola.

He did not divulge any further details about the alleged involvement of the minister. Bhola said that in the next hearing set for January 20, he would reveal the name of another minister who is from the Doaba region.

“I will reveal his name in the next hearing,” said Bhola while reiterating his demand for a CBI probe in the case.

On ordering a CBI probe on the issue, Sukhbir Badal said “I don’t want to discuss a criminal case when we have organised a press conference for something else (NRI sammelan).”

Earlier, Bhola had claimed that three ministers of the state government were involved but he did not reveal the names. He had asserted that he would do so only if the probe was handed over to the CBI. Bhola also alleged that the police team that has been handling his case has taken Rs 25 crore from him. “Why only one SSP, Hardial Singh Mann, has been dealing with all affairs related to the case? Are the rest corrupt and only he the honest one?” he said.

Chandigarh, January 6
Punjab Revenue and Public Relations minister Bikram Singh Majithia today denied that he had any involvement in the drug trade or with alleged drug kingpin Jagdish Bhola. In a statement issued here, he said: "We need to understand Jagdish Bhola is a known criminal. He was caught from Murthal near Delhi after due investigations conducted by none other than the Punjab Police which tracked him down after an eight-month-long surveillance exercise. Why would the Punjab Police take this step if any patronage was being given to drug smugglers by the state".

Majithia said it was also a recorded fact that Bhola was on the run for months. "Such a person, who is a desperado and facing a possible life sentence, has now made this wild allegation. It is clearly a mischievous after thought on his part as he had several opportunities to make these allegations earlier but did not do so", the minister added.