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Interview

CBI probe is only solution to Punjab drug racket, says Shashi Kant former Punjab DGP

July 29, 2015 01:24 PM

CHANDIGARH: Shashi Kant former DGP who headed departments of intelligence and prisons in Punjab Police for many years had ring side view of drug trade flourishing in the border state. He claimed to have submitted a list of drug smugglers, police officers and politicians involved in the drug peddling to the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in 2007 but it was dumped.

Shashi Kant, an upright police officer turned a whistle blower after his retirement and filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court to seek probe by CBI into the drug racket. He said that Investigation by Enforcement Directorate into drug racket is only limited to money laundering part of it.

Shashi Kant maintained that probe by CBI into the drug network in Punjab was the only solution; otherwise the drug business would continue as usual. Drugs are still sold but prices are high. He says, Punjab Police is not in a position to go to the bottom of case due to involvement of high ups. In a candid interview with Satinder Bains Editor of Punjab News Express, he asserted he would not give up despite being under threat to life. “For me it is do or die battle”, he stated. Excerpts of interview;

Q: What is your perception of drug abuse in Punjab?
A: The drug money has become a major source of funding of elections in Punjab and over the time a well organized drug cartel has came into existence with active connivance of Politicians, police officers and drug lords. I estimate the annual turnover of drug trade in Punjab is over Rs. one lakh crores. Youth in Punjab is hooked to drugs and a generation is spoiled. Besides being a big consumer of drugs, Punjab is a major producer of drugs. About 40 to 50 percent of synthetic drugs manufactured in Punjab are supplied to North America, UK and Europe.

Q: But it was Punjab Police which busted the synthetic drug racket then how can you say police and politicians are involved?
A: Punjab police is not in position to investigate the case. It acted due to direct and indirect pressure from USA, UK and Australia through CBI that led to arrest of drug lords Canada based NRI Anup Singh Virk and dismissed cop Jagdish Bhola. The Australian federal police had detected a consignment of rice sent from Amritsar in which heroin and Ice, a synthetic drug was found in large quantity. Australia, USA and Canada governments through Interpol and CBI built the pressure for arrests. The case came to a dead end when names of some ministers in SAD-BJP government were revealed during interrogation.

Q: You have filed a writ petition in the Punjab and High Court. Why do you think CBI probe is the only solution?
A: CBI is member of Interpol and it would be under obligation due to pressure by other member countries like USA and UK to investigate the case and expose real culprits. SSP Fatehgarh Sahib Hardayal Singh who was investigating the synthetic drug case was shifted to scuttle the case. Jagdish Bhola king pin of drug racket had easy excess to police top brass and he was funding election of many political leaders. Raja Kandhola was another drug smuggler arrested by Delhi police from Doraha in Punjab where he was running a ‘factory’ to manufacture synthetic drugs. The names of many Punjab police officers surfaced during investigation but the case was finally hushed up. Same will be the fate of Bhola case. These cases need through investigation.

Q : What kind of political interference Punjab police is facing ?
A: When I was ADGP Intelligence in 2007, I had prepared the list of players involved in drug racket on the basis of interrogation of drug smugglers, field investigation and police records. It was a top secret list and I had directly submitted it to the Chief Minister in 2007. On seeing the names, Chief Minister snubbed and told me to keep quite. Many Gold smugglers active on Indo-Pak border had shifted to drug smuggling after Gold lost its shine. Later when I was made DGP Prisons, I exposed a drug racket in jails. I tried to transfer some black sheep in the prisons but the then jail minister Swaran Singh Phillaur stayed the list of 108 jail staff and withdrew my powers of transfer. Phillaur is now among few political leaders facing investigation in drug money laundering case by Enforcement Directorate.

Q: Are you not satisfied with the probe by Enforcement Directorate?
The probe by ED has been camouflaged. ED is not investigating the drug racket; they are investigating only money laundering part of whole racket. The ED had summoned Punjab revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia and other politicians under Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Q: Can you name the few political leaders you claim are directly involved in the drug racket?
A: I have given an affidavit in the Punjab and High Court to submit the names of tainted politicians and police officers on oath if an investigation is ordered into case. I have also signed an affidavit on threat to my life from three persons Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, revenue minister Bikram Singh Majithia and DGP Sumedh Singh Saini. An attempt was made to kidnap me from my house but thwarted by Chandigarh police. Sometimes I feel isolated but determined to my cause.

Q: All main political parties have started campaign against drugs. How do you perceive it?
A: The political parties are only posturing for political survival but none is serious on eradication of drugs. The political parties are getting funding from drug money. The Election commission of India is seized of the matter.

Q: Do you have any political ambitions?
A: No. I had joined Aam Aadmi Party but later resigned because they failed to raise drug issue.

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