Former DGP Shashi Kant discloses names of politicians, ministers allegedly involved in drugs trade in Punjab

April 23, 2014 | By Sikh Siyasat Bureau

Jalandhar, Punjab (April 22, 2014): According to media reports Shashi Kant, a former DGP (Jails) of Punjab and a senior leader of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has created a stir by alleging that he had handed over a list of 85 persons including politicians from SAD-BJP and the Congress involved in drug trade in Punjab to Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, but he had brushed the shocking revelations under the carpet and didn’t act against any of those involved .

Addressing a press conference here, Shashi Kant however made it clear that his list doesn’t have the name of Punjab Minister Bikram Singh Majithia but expressed surprise over how the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister absolved Majithia of all the charges as soon as Jagdish Bhola took his name.

The list contained the name of politicians, cops, administrative officers and some NGOs too, he said.

The first list of 7 people, allegedly involved in drug trade, released by Shashi Kant include 2 Ministers in Punjab Cabinet, a chief parliamentary secretary and two MLAs, one from the SAD and other from the Congress.

The list of 7 has 5 names from SAD, one from the BJP and one from the Congress.

Announcing the names, Shashi Kant said, Punjab Ministers Ajit Singh Kohar and Gulzar Singh Ranike, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Virsa Singh Valtoha and Tarn Taran MLA Harmeet Singh Sandhu, former MLA Vir Singh Lopoke of the SAD were involved in drug trade and their names figured in the list handed over to the Chief Minister.

While taking the name of Kohar, he referred to him as ‘Dodeyan Wala Baba’. “Is that not how he is lovingly called?”, he asked the reporters.

He also named senior Congress leader Om Parkash Soni. Soni is a Congress MLA and represents Amritsar Central Constituency in Vidhan Sabha.

The only BJP leader named by Shashi Kant is Jimmy Kalia from Jalandhar. He is a relative of former minister and Jalandhar Central MLA Manoranjan Kalia. He also remained a councillor.

Shashi Kant said that he had drawn out a list of 85 persons involved in drugs trade and handed over the same to the Chief Minister in 2007 while he was DGP (Intelligence) expecting that the Chief Minister would act against the mafia.

“Instead of appreciating my work, the Chief Minister got annoyed with me on this account. The CM even snubbed me, saying that such lists are not drawn and if there is any such information it is shared personally. I expected him to put all these people in Jail but that didn’t happen.”, Shashi Kant said.

Quoting the Chief Minister, Shashi Kant told in chaste Punjabi, “Kaka ji, is tarah listan nahin banayiyan jandian. Koi gall hove taan aa ke daseya jaanda”.

Shashi Kant claimed that all the persons named in the four-page list are still active in politics but the government has failed to initiate action against them.

Elaborating regarding Gulzar Singh Ranike, Shashi Kant said, that the CM had the information that ED and NCB were planning a raid on the residence of Ranike. He had told me to stall the raid as it could lead to the fall of the government.

Asked about how the list was prepared, the former DGP said that the list was prepared on the basis of ‘feel intelligence reports’, different investigation reports of cases and statements of drug peddlers, their interrogation reports and intelligence reports.

“We duly analysed these reports and these were corroborated by intelligence inputs”, he claimed.

The former DGP said that he regrets not having acted then. He lamented the loss of several lives of youth due to drugs in the state and said had he taken a bold stand then, some of the lives could have been saved.

“While my conscience has been jolted at least now, that of politicians still seems to be in a deep slumber.”

Shashi Kant said that he definitely fears for his life but was not in a mood to have security as he was one of the ‘aam aadmi’ from Punjab.

He said that the drug trade in Punjab has flourished under the political patronage and protection. Congress, Akali Dal, BJP, Police Officers, NGOs, Administrative Officials are involved and responsible for it. “The drugs used to be smuggled via vehicles with red-beacons”, he charged.

Sounding a note of caution to those opposing him and said to be after him, Shashi Kant said, his advocate has all the reports and affidavits with him and would release the day anybody harms him.

Asked about the remaining names in the list, he said he even didn’t remember the exact number in the list. It was around 100, may be 98 or 99. Shashi Kant said he didn’t remember all the names by heart. He also said that he would share the remaining names in due course of time.

Answering a question about Majithia, Shashi Kant said, Majithia was then just a ‘Kaka ji’ who enjoyed the hooters of the security vehicles. He, however said that it surprised him as to how the CM and the Deputy CM absolved Majithia after Bhola named the minister in his statement.

“How they could exonerate him without any probe. It is possible that they might have got it probed beforehand”, he said.

Shashi Kant had been threatening to release these names for many weeks now.

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Related Topics: Aam Aadmi Party, Drug Addiction Problem, Indian National Congress, Punjab, Shashi Kant, Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal)