Former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking investigations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into alleged drug operations being run from prisons in Punjab. Mr Jakhar also demanded a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the black money linked to the drug trade in the state.

 

In the letter, Mr Jakhar, while referring to the recent murder of anti-drug activist Parminder Singh Jhota in Mansa, said that a drug inspector who had served in the same district was arrested two years ago. He mentioned that the DGP had claimed that the said inspector was the kingpin of a gang linked to imprisoned drug traffickers. The network had links to cross-border drug trafficking. Substantial assets worth crores of rupees belonging to him were uncovered.

 

Mr Jakhar said that instead of initiating an NIA investigation or referring the case to the ED, the said drug inspector was reinstated by the Aam Aadmi Party government after his bail. He said that the drug inspector was also appointed to an important position at his department’s headquarters. 

 

Mr Jakhar has called for action against what he described as a drug trade operating from prisons, allegedly under state government patronage and for the exposure of the money laundering linked to it.