Punjab: ED officials face probe for ‘shielding’ drug traffickers

The Centre has ordered a probe against the Enforcement Directorate officials who allegedly protected those involved in drug trafficking. The information was shared by the Union Ministry of Finance with retired Deputy Director of Enforcement Directorate (ED) Niranjan Singh.

The retired officer had earlier written to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, alleging that his senior officials had interfered in his work to “give protection to some big fish involved in the drug trade”.

Parmod Kumar, Under Secretary, Ministry of Finance, has reverted to Niranjan Singh, mentioning that directions had been passed for a suitable inquiry into the matter.

Niranjan Singh, who had got drug smugglers Jagdish Bhola and Raja Kandola convicted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, had written to the minister that his senior officials had withdrawn him from investigating in some big cases. He had alleged there had been no conviction in those high-profile cases till date as the inquiries had been hampered to save some “big fish”.