SIT has evidence against Sukhpal Singh Khaira: AAP

Chandigarh, September 28

Reacting to the arrest of Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira, AAP claimed that during its probe, the new Special Investigation Team (SIT) had found enough evidence to prove that Khaira had been allegedly involved in drug smuggling.

AAP spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang claimed that the government was working rigorously to eliminate drug mafia from the state and “free our youth from drug addiction”. The government has zero tolerance against the drug mafia. Anyone involved, no matter how influential they are, will not be spared, Kang said.

He said there was no political vendetta behind Khaira’s arrest as he had been detained based on the evidence found against him.

“If we wanted to take any political revenge, he would have been arrested earlier,” Kang said. The AAP leader said that although the Supreme Court had last year given relief to Sukhpal Khaira in the case, it had also written in its order that the Punjab Police could re-investigate the matter. Based on the SC order, the SIT had begun a re-investigation.

Kang added that Khaira was close to Manjeet Singh and Gurdev Singh, against whom allegations of drug smuggling were made in a case during the SAD-BJP government in 2015.

That is why the ED had registered a case of money laundering against him and he had to go to jail, Kang said. The matter is very serious now because it has its connection with Pakistan and the UK, the AAP leader said.

‘FIR filed during Cong rule’

• AAP senior leader Jagtar Singh Sanghera said the FIR was registered against Khaira during the Congress government
• Sanghera said the arrest of Khaira was not about vendetta politics and there was no place for drug smugglers in Punjab

SAD (Sanyukt) condemns arrest

• SAD (Sanyukt) leader Parminder Singh Dhindsa condemned the arrest of Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira
• He questioned the manner in which the arrest was carried out and accused Bhagwant Mann of resorting to vendetta politics