Former DSP Jagdish Singh Bhola and 17 Others Convicted in Massive Rs 6,000 Crore Drug Trafficking Case

An ED Special Court convicted former DSP Jagdish Singh Bhola and 17 others in a Rs 6,000 crore drug trafficking case. The case, which emerged in 2013, revealed an international racket. Bhola's allegations implicated high-profile figures, leading to further arrests and the attachment of assets worth Rs 95 crore.

An Enforcement Directorate (ED) Special Court on Tuesday found former Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Jagdish Singh Bhola and 17 other co-defendants guilty in a substantial drug trafficking operation worth around Rs 6,000 crore. The scandal, which first surfaced in March 2013, began following the detention of Canadian NRI Anoop Singh Kahlon in Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab.

Bhola, who was later dismissed from his position, became embroiled in controversy as he made accusations against notable figures. The court has handed Bhola, along with associates Manpreet, Sukhraj, Sukhjit Sukh, and Maninder, a ten-year prison sentence. Bhola's spouse, Gurpreet Kaur, received a three-year term.

Of the 23 individuals initially charged, four have died, and two have been declared Proclaimed Offenders. The investigation exposed a significant international drug smuggling ring, with Bhola's statements implicating several high-profile individuals, including politician Bikram Singh Majithia.

Following these revelations, authorities interrogated and subsequently arrested leaders Bittu Aulakh and Jagdish Singh Chahal, linked to a pharmaceutical company in Amritsar. This case has underscored the entrenched issue of drug trafficking in the region and the involvement of influential personalities. The inquiry was conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, launched in 2013 based on eight FIRs filed at various police stations in Punjab. Assets and properties worth approximately Rs 95 crore have been provisionally seized.

This marks the most significant conviction order by the ED in terms of the number of individuals sentenced in a single case. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)