ED going slow on probe into drug racket: Cong
Monday, 11/08/2014
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140811/punjab.htm#8
Jalandhar : The Punjab Congress has accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of going slow on the investigation into the multi-crore synthetic drug racket.
The party alleged that though it had been seven months since the ED started the probe, hardly any progress had been made. The Congress alleged that the probe had particularly gone slow ever since the BJP-led NDA Government had assumed power at the Centre.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Partap Singh Bajwa said he was dismayed at the pace of the probe. “Once the by-elections are over, we will consult our lawyers and subsequently approach the Supreme Court for a CBI probe,” he said. The Punjab Youth Congress (PYC) has also decided to take up the matter at the highest possible level after the bypoll. “We will not sit quiet. The Youth Congress will make itself heard and demand a CBI probe,” said PYC president Vikramjit Chaudhary.
Despite repeated attempts, ED officials did not respond to calls from The Tribune. During the interrogation earlier this year, druglord Jagdish Bhola, prime accused in the Rs 6,000 crore drug racket, had named Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia and Damanvir Singh, son of Kartarpur MLA Sarwan Singh Phillaur, of being involved in the racket.
The Congress alleged that though the ED had summoned Damanvir in February, it was yet to call Majithia for questioning.
Likewise, Chief Parliamentary Secretary and Phillaur MLA Avinash Chander’s name had also cropped up in the case after some financial transactions against his name were found in the documents seized from a key accused. But so far, he has also not been asked to appear before any probe agency.
Chaudhary alleged that the probe by the ED and the Punjab Police appeared to be an eyewash as nothing concrete had emerged so far. “Till the time the big fish are taken to task, the truth will not come out,” he said.
