Tarn Taran: NCB conducts searches at places of four Akali Dal workers

Teams from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) conducted a search at the residences of four persons of the area on Monday. In the search that lasted for more than five hours at each person’s residence, the NCB teams failed to locate anything objectionable.

The houses which were searched included that of Gurpreet Sngh Goldy, former Sarpanch of Khehra village, Palwinder Singh Pinka, former Sarpanch of Manochahal Kalan, Gursewak Singh, a resident of Shekh village and Gurnam Singh, a resident of Bhura village. All four are leaders of Sukhbir Singh Badal-led SAD and played a remarkable role in the membership drive which led to the re-election of Sukhbir Badal as the president of SAD.

The move by the NCB was kept so secret that officials restricted media persons from reaching near the under-search houses. The officials did not share any information with the media either. An official who was contacted over his mobile phone only gave the mobile number of his senior officer asking to contact him but the officer concerned did not respond to mobile calls.

The NCB teams arrived at the residences at about 8.30 am but failed to locate the persons concerned there. Gursewak Singh Sekh was contacted on his mobile by the NCB team and agreed to a search at his residence. Shekh said that after the completion of the search operation, the team pasted a notice at the gate of his residence and informed that nothing objectionable had been recovered from the house. A similar process was adopted at the other three places too.

The teams took the assistance of dog squads and women personnel in conducting the searches.

SSP Abhimanyu Rana did not respond to mobile phone calls when attempts were made to contact him for his version on the NCB search operation.