NEW DELHI, Jan 17:
Congress today alleged political expediency behind the move to transfer the investigating officer who interrogated Punjab Minister Bikram Majithia and demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention for a probe by CBI or a Supreme Court judge into the drug scam.
Attacking Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP, Punjab Congress chief Pratap Singh Bajwa today wrote to Modi slamming the “conspiracy to hush up this narco-terrorism racket by the ruling powers” and sought transfer of the case outside the state as well as immediate revocation of the order shunting out IO Niranjan Singh.
Bajwa linked the transfer decision to the questioning of Majithia in the multi-crore drugs scam probe, noting that he is the brother-in-law of the Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and had also “spearheaded the electoral campaign of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley from Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency”.
Majithia has maintained that all allegations related to the drug racket are “baseless and without evidence”.
Bajwa in his letter to the PM alleged that the IO, who interrogated Majithia — the brother of Union Minister Harsimrat Badal, has been transferred out from Punjab days before the filing of the charge sheet in this case.
“It is abundantly clear that the reasons for transferring him from Punjab are purely on account of political expediency and convenience…. It is most unfortunate that the rule of law is being sacrificed at the altar of political expediency especially in view of the fact that your party requires the support of the SAD-Badal for the forthcoming Delhi elections,” he said.
“I would urge you, in national interest, and for the sake of the future generations of this country, to revoke the transfer orders of the investigating officer Niranjan Singh and immediately transfer the money laundering investigation by the Enforcement Directorate in the Jagdish Singh Bhola synthetic drug racket case to outside the state of Punjab to enable a free, fair and independent investigation.
“I would further request you that the investigation into drug racket should be transferred to CBI or handed over to a sitting Judge of Supreme Court for time bound investigations,” Bajwa said in his letter to Modi.
The Congress leader reminded Modi of his intent to free the country from the menace of drugs and referred to his “mann ki baat’ programme in which he raised the issue some time back.
Congress leader Manish Tewari said the transfer order is “extremely disturbing and regrettable development”.
“It raises obvious eyebrows. In the past, the Supreme Court insulated officers who were engaged in sensitive investigations and this insulation has gone across the spectrum. Therefore, if this officer was engaged in a very sensitive investigation, he should not have been transferred in the first place,” he said.
Tewari said the Finance Minister should clarify on the issue as the Akali Dal and BJP are in alliance in Punjab.
Majithia was named by former DSP Jagdish Singh Bhola, the main accused in the multi-crore synthetic drug racket in Punjab being interrogated by the Enforcement Directorate.
Days after Majithia was questioned by the ED, the IO has been transferred from Jalandhar to Kolkata.
On the IO’s transfer, Bajwa alleged, “I am constrained and anguished to inform you of the brazen manner in which the rule of law and the sanctity of an investigation process is being subverted by your Union Finance Ministry.”
He said at a time when Punjab youth are suffering due to rampant proliferation of drugs, the transfer of investigating officer could not have been more “ill timed and questionable”.
“This practice by your Government demonstrates the huge chasm between words and actions,” he said.
The Congress leader also pointed out that the Enforcement Directorate officers concerned with the Bhola Drug racket case have alleged that they are being harassed and intimidated by the Punjab Police.
“Instead of strengthening the investigating mechanism in the drug racket case your Government has chosen to transfer the investigating officer and thereby compromise the entire investigating process,” he said.
Bajwa also alleged involvement of several senior ministers of Punjab Government.
Reacting to the transfer of IO, Bajwa in a statement said, “This is a criminal conspiracy to hush up this narco-terrorism racket by the ruling powers as Majithia is among the most powerful leaders being the brother-in-law of the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and brother of the Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
“On the one hand, the Modi government claims transparency in governance but the practice is diametrically opposite as the transfer in the Enforcement Directorate at this critical juncture is part of the cover up operation to save Mr Majithia,” he said.
He said the BJP had been “shedding crocodile tears” on the issue of drug smuggling in Punjab and warned the “hushing of this case would have serious repercussions in the long run”.
He warned that Congress would “expose this criminal conspiracy involving the BJP and the Akali Dal” at every level.
He alleged BJP was scared that the exposure of the racket in Punjab at this stage might have a direct bearing on the Delhi Assembly election to be held next month. (PTI)
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