M A I N   N E W S

Punjab drug probe: ED to get vital papers
Ruchika M Khanna
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 20
Investigation into the Rs 6,000 crore synthetic drug case got a boost today with the special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), Patiala, directing the Income Tax Department to provide documents seized from the premises of businessman Chunni Lal Gaba to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 4.

The court had summoned the Joint Commissioner of Income Tax today after the Enforcement Directorate approached the court on May 13, saying the investigation had come to a halt as the Income Tax Department was not sharing the documents seized from the premises of Gaba. The Income Tax Department agreed to the date decided by the special PMLA court and agreed to hand over the documents on June 4.

The probe into the involvement of Damanvir Singh, son of Jails Minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur, in the case came to a halt after the Income Tax authorities refused to share details of the documents seized from Gaba’s premises in February. The ED wants the documents to establish the money trail between Gaba and Damanvir Singh.

Despite the Enforcement Directorate’s summons, both Gaba and Damanvir have not joined the investigation.

Investigations by the Enforcement Directorate revealed that Gaba was a close associate of Damanvir. During interrogation, Jagdish Singh Bhola, the alleged drug lord, had spilled the beans about other drug traders operating in this region. He named Delhi-based synthetic drug supplier Varinder ‘Raja’, who is lodged in the Patiala jail. He said Damanvir had introduced Varinder “Raja” to Chunni Lal Gaba, who owns a pharmaceutical manufacturing unit in Baddi.