All-powerful minister Majithia and his 3 NRI musketeers

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Varinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar/Chandigarh, November 24

Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, famous in the Amritsar border belt as ‘Majhe Da Jarnail’, may be in trouble for his alleged involvement in the Bhola drug racket.

Jagdish Singh Bhola, dismissed Punjab Deputy Superintendent of Police who is the alleged kingpin in the Rs 6,000 crore synthetic drug racket, had several months ago told mediapersons outside a court that Majithia was among those involved.

Majithia’s name reportedly again surfaced in the case when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) grilled other accused as well as suspects.

The Minister, however, has held “mischievous elements”, including in the ED itself, responsible for “malicious campaign against him”. He has denied any role in the drug trade.

Minister & the 3 NRIs

After Bhola, other accused in the racket, including Maninder Singh alias Bittu Aulakh, Jagjit Singh Chahal, Aulakh’s father Partap Singh Aulakh and Bittu’s wife Jagminder Kaur, reportedly stated before the ED that Majithia was in touch with three NRIs booked by the agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, said sources. The NRIs are Satpreet Singh alias Satta, Amarinder Singh Laadi and Parminder Singh Pindi, all based in Edmonton, Canada.

Laadi is also an accused in the drug racket case (FIR No. 45/3013) lodged at Fatehgarh Sahib.

Bittu, main accused along with Bhola, is lodged in Nabha jail while Chahal is out on bail.

Bittu reportedly told the ED that Satta was introduced to Chahal by Majithia. He said Pindi was introduced to him by Satta at the wedding ceremony of Majithia on November 25, 2009, near Chandigarh. He said Satta and Chahal discussed export of human and veterinary medicines to Canada from India.

Aide ‘nails’ Minister

Bhola, arrested by the Fatehgarh Sahib police in November 2013, reportedly stated during interrogation that Chahal gave pseudoephedrine (a synthetic drug) to Pindi and Satta on Majithia’s instructions.

Bittu even stated that Satta reportedly used to stay at Majithia’s residence (House No. 43, Green Avenue) in Amritsar.

Bittu’s father Partap Singh, in his written statement to the ED, also stated that Satta reportedly used to stay at Majithia’s house. He claimed his son even went to Canada with Majithia.

Jagminder Kaur (Bittu’s wife) stated before the agency that Satta had visited her house several times along with Majithia.

Chahal, another accused, reportedly told the ED that the Punjab Police had recovered pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, metformine (synthetic drugs and raw material) and waste material from him. He also stated that Satta used to stay at Majithia’s house.

“Laadi and Pindi used to come along with Bittu to meet Majithia. All the three NRIs used to stay at the minister’s house in Amritsar as well as his official residence in Sector 39, Chandigarh. He even provided his security personnel and a car to Satta. Majithia told me to provide pseudoephedrine to the NRIs, who used to carry it to Canada,” reads Chahal’s statement.

Police station report

The ED records also mention about the interrogation report dated November 21, 2013, received from the authorities at Banur police station. It mentioned that Satta reportedly acted as Majithia’s election agent in 2007, and that he was then staying at the minister’s house.

The report, ED sources said, revealed that Bittu and Chahal had been “supplying pseudoephidrine to Laadi, Pindi and Satta.

Leaders on radar

The agency has summoned and recorded the statements of several politicians, including former Akali Minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur, his son Damanbir Singh, SAD Chief Parliamentary Secretary Avinash Chander and Congress Jalandhar MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh.

Their names had reportedly figured in a diary recovered from Goraya-based jailed businessman Chuni Lal Gaba. The Income Tax authorities had seized the diary during a raid in February. Phillaur had to tender his resignation after the revelations. The opposition parties have been demanding Chander as well as Majithia’s resignation.