Police, ED update High Court about progress in probe into drug racket

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 20

The Punjab Police and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), investigating drug haul case and allegations of money laundering, today informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court about the progress in the probe.

As the case came up for resumed hearing in the afternoon, two separate status reports were submitted by the Punjab Police and the ED authorities. Taking the reports on record for examinations, the High Court fixed Monday next for further hearing.

The plea against ED officer Niranjan Singh’s transfer would also be heard on the next date. The arguments in the matter could not make much headway as one of the members of the Bench, Justice Rekha Mittal, was not present.

The officer, who had questioned Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia in the drug case, had on the previous date of hearing claimed that the probe was far from over and any assertion to this effect was a “patent lie”.

Niranjan Singh’s decision to break the silence came at a time when the ED was making attempts to convince the court that his transfer would not affect the investigation of ongoing cases at its Jalandhar zonal office.

The plea against the transfer was filed by Navkiran Singh in the ongoing drugs case. Navkiran Singh, on behalf of NGO Lawyers for Human Rights International, had contended that Niranjan Singh’s transfer was neither in public interest nor in the interest of justice.

“The case was being supervised by the High Court for last more than a year; and status reports were being filed by the state and central agencies. The shifting of an investigating officer, playing an important role in the investigation, was not beyond suspicion.

“In the present case, since the ED has interrogated more than 50 important witnesses and the investigation is at fag end, the changing of investigating officer would be sending the investigation directionless…,” he had claimed.