Drugs: SAD leader told to face trial
Saturday, 18/10/2014
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20141018/punjab.htm#18
Moga : The court of Moga Additional District and Sessions Judge has summoned Akali Dal leader and former Congress MLA Naresh Kataria on October 30 to face trial in a three-year-old case of drug smuggling. The police had given him a clean chit.
Eleven bags of poppy husk were recovered from a vehicle allegedly owned by Kataria on June 4, 2011. An FIR was registered at Ajitwal police station.
The vehicle was being driven by Sukhdev Singh alias Sukha, a resident of Sherpur Takhtuwala village, who was arrested.
Kataria too was reportedly present in the vehicle. He is learnt to have been let off by the police because of his political influence,
The police gave a clean chit to Kataria during investigation reportedly at the behest of senior Akali leaders as he joined the ruling party.
He was elected an MLA from Zira constituency (Ferozepur district) on the Congress ticket in 2007, but lost to Hari Singh Zira of the Akali Dal in 2012.
He joined the Akali Dal on May 30, 2012, after which he was given the clean chit.
Before summoning Kataria to face trial, the court also summoned record of registration of the vehicle from the District Transport Office in Ferozepur to ascertain its ownership. The transport officials stated in the court that the vehicle was owned by Kataria.
