CHANDIGARH: Ahead of the assembly of the elections in Punjab, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Cabinet minister Bikram Singh Majithia, who is also the brother-in-law of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, was on Monday late night booked in a drugs case.
While the SAD dubbed the move as "political vendetta", the Congress welcomed the move by the officials.
The case under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act was registered by the Bureau of Investigation at the Punjab State Crime Police Station in Mohali. A copy of the 49-page FIR states that Majihtia has been booked for letting drug smugglers use his property or conveyance, financing the distribution or sale of drugs and hatching a criminal conspiracy for smuggling.
"It is on record that many of the persons prosecuted in these cases have been convicted under the NDPS Act by the court and therefore their involvement in such drug trafficking is well established. Participating in the manufacture, processing, transport, sale, trafficking and distribution of narcotics in an offence.
"Facilitating, abetting, conspiring, assisting and gaining financial benefits from such offences and profiting from using such illegal proceeds and money received from such activities of drug trafficking is also an offence. Using the profits in various business ventures and illegal activities are also offences under relevant laws. Such action themselves constitute a cognisable offence," reads the FIR.
The FIR adds: "Intentional use of government machinery including vehicles and security personnel and other government facilities for assisting, facilitating and abetting drug trafficking and other related illegal facilities is an offence."
Reacting to the development, SAD patron and former CM Parkash Singh Badal said: "We knew it. The Congress government has changed three state police chiefs to book and arrest the Badals and Majithia. Take me wherever you want to, I am ready. Any government which indulges in this vendetta has to face the consequences."
He said the job of the government is to serve people and not indulge in political vendetta.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal declared that his party “accepts the challenge of a false case against one of our leaders, Bikram Singh Majithia", and warned, “those abusing their official positions and playing with the rule of law should to be ready to face legal consequences.”
Badal junior said it was a panic reaction from the Congress. Be it the sacrilege or drug issue, the whole state administration and police machinery were pressed into service to target the Badals and Majithia despite the fact that the High Court had already snubbed the state government over its political motives.
On the case registered on his brother-in-law, Sukhbir said that the CM, the home minister and the DGP conspired against Majithia in a frivolous case.
"When no SSP or police officer was ready to execute the government’s orders, then Bureau of Investigation under DGP Sidharth Chattopadhaya was misused to conspire against us and a case was registered on frivolous grounds," he said and added that the police officers and Congress leaders involved in registering fake FIR would not be spared once the SAD-BSP government comes to power.
Welcoming the development, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu tweeted, "After 5.5 years of fight against the corrupt system run by the Badal family & Captain and delay of 4 years without action taken on ED & STF Report against Majithia. Finally now, after pushing for credible officers in positions of power and influence first step has been taken!!"
Former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh said the case registered against Majithia will not stand legal scrutiny as the government had not followed due process of law.
Special Task Force (Drugs) Chief Harpreet Singh Sidhu had submitted a report in a drug racket case in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2018. The Opposition had been accusing the ruling Congress Government of failing to curb the drugs menace in the state.