BHOLA’S DRUG RING - ED chargesheets Avinash, Phillaur

Thursday, 13/07/2017

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/ed-chargesheets-avinash-phillaur/435810.html

Jalandhar/Mohali : The Enforcement Directorate today submitted its fifth chargesheet naming 12 persons, including former Akali minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur, his son Damanvir Phillaur and former Akali CPS Avinash Chander, in the Bhola drug case.

The 211-page charge sheet was submitted by ED’s special public prosecutor Jagjit Singh Sarao, who was accompanied by the ED Deputy Director Niranjan Singh, in the special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in Mohali today.

Among others who have been named in the charges heet are Amritsar-based businessman Jagjit Singh Chahal, who had been arrested and taken into remand by the ED officials in May for two days after laying a trap in Mohali, Chahal’s brother Paramjit Singh Chahal and his wife Inderjit Kaur. While Jagjit Chahal is currently lodged in Central Jail, Patiala, his brother has been held in New Jail Nabha.

Bhiwani-based four family members — Sushil Kumar Sardana, his wife Kailash Sardana, son Sachin Sardana and daughter-in-law Rashmi Sardana — too have been named. Sardanas run a pharma company in Delhi. The remaining two who have been chargesheeted are Una-based Devinder Kant Sharma and Shahkot-based Canadian NRI Jaswinder Singh.

The zonal office of the ED in Jalandhar has also listed eight companies in the charge sheet, which were reportedly used for siphoning off the ill-gotten money.

These include seven firms owned by Chahal brothers, including Chahal Tyre World, Amritsar; New Piyar Roadways, Amritsar; MBP Pharmaceuticals, Solan; Tulip Formulations, Kangra; Chahal Tyres, Jalandhar; Chahal Retreats, Amritsar; Montek Bio Pharma, Baddi; and Navroz Pharmaceuticals, owned by Sachin Sardana in Delhi.

The charge sheet was submitted along with 8,357 related documents. Sarao said this was the sixth charge sheet in the case as they had already presented one charge sheet against Jagdish Singh Bhola and four supplementary charge sheets against other accused.

Sarao claimed that the accused were involved in money laundering and purchasing of properties with drug money. He said Avinash Chander had taken Rs 45 lakh from Chunni Lal Gabba, another accused in the case against whom the ED had already filed a supplementary charge sheet.

The court has fixed July 25 as the next date of hearing.

This is for the first time that the political leaders have been named in the charge sheet. Earlier, the ED had attached the properties of Avinash and Phillaur father-son duo in the case.

Capt seeks Modi’s help in checking unemployment

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/capt-seeks-modi-s-help-in-checking-unemployment/435808.html

Chandigarh : The Punjab Government has sought the help of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in dealing with large-scale unemployment in the border state, “which has the potential of disturbing peace in the border state”.

With over 30 lakh unemployed youth in the state not able to find job avenues in the organised sector, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh sought the attention of the PM on this crucial issue during their meeting held at Delhi last evening. The CM is reportedly eyeing more jobs in the organised sector through a push to promoting industrialisation in the state.

Official sources say the PM has assured that his office will be recommending Punjab as an investment destination to some Israel and Japan-based companies, which are looking to invest in India.

Besides this foreign direct investment (FDI), the state is looking up to the Centre to announce a mega project in the public-private partnership mode.

Sources say Amarinder, who stormed to power, buoyed by his promise of “ghar ghar naukri”, is concerned over the inability of policy makers to address this issue. Though the state government has tried to dovetail several central schemes such as MUDRA and Stand-Up India to provide employment, it is unlikely to take off in a manner that it can redress the problem. The number of jobs that the government itself can offer to youth is miniscule as compared to the huge unemployed population.

Officials in the CM’s Office also say that recent incidents of terror outfits scouting for “their talent pool” have come to light. To nip this problem in the bud, the focus of the government is on creating gainful employment opportunities in the organised sector.

The department of employment generation has already been asked to prepare a blueprint for setting up employment generation bureaus. A survey to identify unemployed youth in each district has started as also the preparation for an employment plan.