Drug case: ED officer, for the first time, blames Majithia for transfer

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 24

Enforcement Directorate officer Niranjan Singh today, for the first time, squarely blamed Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia for his transfer. Appearing in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the ED Assistant Director’s counsel submitted that Majithia’s summoning and examination was the only reason behind his transfer from the Jalandhar office. “The only reason why Niranjan Singh was shifted was that he had summoned and examined Majithia and there was a fear that the officer could summon and examine him again,” his counsel submitted. The development is significant as Niranjan Singh had, till now, cast a shadow on the reason behind his impending transfer by simply claiming that the two substitute officers had hardly any experience in such matters. The officer had also claimed that the probe was far from over and any assertion to that effect was a “patent lie”. This is the first time Majithia has been directly named by the officer.

Taking up the matter, the Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice PB Bajanthri also ordered stay on the operation of orders transferring ED’s Assistant Legal Adviser-cum-Special Public Prosecutor Suresh Batra. 

The Bench made it clear that Batra would continue to be associated with the ED cases only in Punjab. The Bench also ordered the continuation of stay on Niranjan Singh’s transfer from the Jalandhar office to Kolkata. Earlier during the proceedings, Assistant Solicitor-General of India Chetan Mittal argued that Batra could not be associated with prosecution of this case as he was part of the investigations. Contesting this, his counsel submitted that investigation and prosecution were completely separate from each other.  The case will now come up for further hearing on September 23.

The HC is currently hearing petitions, including a plea against ED Assistant Director Niranjan Singh’s transfer from Jalandhar. The pending “court on its own motion” case has its origin in a plea filed by Tarlochan Singh.  A Mohali resident, he was lodged at the Ropar jail at the time of filing the petition. The inmate was seeking an inquiry not only into the sale of intoxicants in the jail, but also officials highhandedness towards prisoners reporting against illegal activities.