Drugs recovery: Now, cops says BJP leader’s role unclear

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 2

Suspecting a drug racket being run by former BJP councillor Satish Nagar, the Ludhiana police conducted a raid at the building of the BJP leader in the Chawni mohalla on Monday night and recovered 1,29,200 intoxicant tablets.

The raid was conducted after duly procuring a search warrant.

The banned medicine was recovered from rooms given on rent in the building of the leader.

The police division No. 4 registered a case under Sections 22-C, 25-29-61-85 under the NDPS Act against the leader Satish Nagar, his tenants Anup Kumar, Himmat and Rajinder.

The police named Anoop the kingpin of smuggling and he was arrested. The accused leader Satish Nagar, who remained in police custody till late night, was released, citing his pending role verification in the smuggling network. This is despite the fact that he was made the main accused in the FIR.

Today, Anoop was produced in the court and his five-day police remand was taken for interrogation.

Initially, the police said the former councillor was running a drugs network and was listed as the main accused in the FIR, but now the police took a U-turn in the case, saying the BJP leader’s role was yet to be verified.

ADCP Pragya Jain said Anoop and his two aides were running the smugging network and further probe was on to bust the entire supply line.

When the Police Commissioner was asked the reason for releasing the BJP leader from custody, the CP said the FIR was registered on the basis of the preliminary information and the role of Satish Nagar was being scanned to know if he had any links with the recovery of the large haul of drugs.

“The police cannot implicate any wrong person in a drugs case and, similarly, the police cannot let any smuggler go scot-free. The role of Satish is being verified and if there is any proof of his link with the recovery of the drugs, the police will pursue the matter. So far, the police probe found that Satish owned the building and he was not aware about his tenants running the smuggling network, “ he said.

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