Reprieve for DSP Vavinder Mahajan as Punjab and Haryana High Court transfers probe to CBI

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Vavinder Mahajan got a major reprieve after the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday shifted the probe into the seizure of a huge quantity of pharma drugs in an inter-state operation in February this year to the Central Bureau of investigation (CBI).

Mahajan was booked by the Anti-Narcotic Task Force (earlier STF) on charges of corruption in addition to the provisions of NDPS Act in the case.

The court has also restrained the STF from conducting any further investigations in the matter against the petitioner (Mahajan) till the conclusion of a preliminary inquiry by the CBI. It also directed the agency to submit an inquiry report within four months.

On September 19, the STF booked Mahajan for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 45 lakh from Akhil Jai Singh of Gokhale Marg in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh for giving him a clean chit in the seizure of huge quantity of pharmaceutical drugs from Baddi, Himachal Pradesh. The name of Akhil’s firm, Aster Pharma, situated in Palghar, Maharashtra, had cropped up during investigations.

Mahajan along with Akhil were booked following the disclosure statements of two drug inspectors, Shishan Mittal and Sukhdeep Singh.

“An issue of this propensity needs to be investigated thoroughly as the racket involves an inter-state operation while possibility of people with clout at different levels cannot be ruled out. Given the volume of trade, the manner in which it operates and the nature of allegations levelled, the court deems it appropriate to direct the CBI to carry out a preliminary inquiry into the matter,” said Justice Vinod Sharma in the order.

On the request for additional manpower for investigations by the CBI, he also directed the Punjab government to ensure requisite manpower asked for by the Central agency.

Mahajan’s lawyer Ajay Vermani filed the petition in the High Court while contending that the petitioner was being framed and maligned in a false case to protect the pharma manufacturers and alleged kingpins in the illegal drug trade. He said the petitioner was arraigned as a suspect to safeguard the real violators and the drug syndicate while requesting for thorough investigations by an independent agency. He said he was ready and willing to join probe and face the interrogation to establish his innocence.