M A I N   N E W S

Bhola’s Drug ring
ED summons Punjab Jail Minister’s son
Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar/Chandigarh, Feb 21
Sacked Punjab Police DSP-turned-druglord Jagdish Singh Bhola has divulged details indicating the alleged involvement of Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia and Damanvir Singh, son of Punjab Minister for Jails Sarwan Singh Phillaur, in the Rs 6,000-crore synthetic drug business.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Damanvir Singh on the basis of Bhola’s disclosure that Damanvir had introduced one Varinder Raja, an alleged Delhi-based synthetic drug supplier currently lodged in Patiala jail, to a Goraya-based businessman and Sarwan Singh’s confidant.

While Varinder, alias Raja, used to “supply” synthetic drugs to Canada, he allegedly procured pseudoephedrine —used to make “Ice” — from the Goraya-based businessman, who runs a cold storage and a drug-manufacturing unit in Baddi in Himachal Pradesh.

The businessman and his firms had surrendered an “additional income” of Rs 16 crore during the February 18 income tax raids on their premises. A large number of sensitive documents were reportedly seized by the IT officials during the raids.

Sources said Damanvir has been told to appear before the ED for questioning after 15 days. ED sleuths were making preparations to summon Majithia within a month sources said.

Bhola’s incriminating statement (a copy of which is with The Tribune) has been recorded by the ED under Section 50 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 and submitted to a Delhi-based adjudicating authority.

Giving details about his drug supply chain, Bhola said he used to procure pseudoephedrine from one Kulbir Singh, a resident of Karnal in Haryana, and used to sell it to a Amritsar-based person.

Interestingly, though Bhola admitted to knowing Zirakpur resident Anoop Singh Kahlon, whose name had cropped in the scam, he said did not do any “business” with him.

SAD-related leaders Bittu Aulakh alias Manjinder Singh, owner of the Amritsar-based Sanjog hotel, and Jagjit Singh Chahal were also providing pseudoephedrine to the Amritsar resident who has fled to Canada fearing arrest. “When, on one occasion, Bittu Aulakh and Jagjit Singh Chahal had sold poor-quality pseudoephedrine to Canada-based Parbinder Singh alias Pindi, he asked the duo to refund his Rs 1.5 crore. Bittu Aulakh had told me that Jagjit Chahal on his request did not give pseudoephedrine to Pindi and one Canada based Satta.

“But Jagjit Chahal gave the drug to Parbinder Singh alias Pindi and Satta on the instructions of Bikram Singh Majithia, a minister in the Punjab Government.

“Pindi and Satta had come from Canada to India to attend the marriage of Bikramjit Singh Majithia,” stated Jagdish Bhola in his hand-written statement in Punjabi to the ED.

Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia rubbished the allegations, saying it was a “game plan” formulated by the Congress ahead of the parliamentary polls.

“If I was involved, the Punjab police wouldn’t have arrested Bhola after a 10-month chase. No central agency arrested Bhola. Why did Bhola not speak up for two months after his arrest? It was just an afterthought to say that I was the kingpin. He was approached by some Congress leaders in jail and he started dancing to their tune,” said Majithia to The Tribune. He described Bhola as an “old friend” of the PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa. He said he never met Bhola. “Bhola has admitted to this. How can a person, who has never met me, dub me as the kingpin?” said Majithia.

‘Supplied’ drugs on Majithia's insistence

* Druglord Jagdish Bhola has alleged that Bittu Aulakh, a leader linked to SAD, had asked businessman Jagjit Singh Chahal not to supply drugs to two Canada-based men

* But Chahal later supplied the drugs to the two allegedly on the instructions of Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia

Bhola dancing to Cong tune

Why did Bhola not speak up for two months after his arrest? It was just an afterthought to say that I was the kingpin. He was approached by some Congress leaders in jail and he started dancing to their tune — Bikram Singh Majithia, punjab revenue minister