Jagir Kaur seeks inquiry into Khaira’s ‘rags-to-riches’ story - Khaira denies charges as ‘false and baseless’

Monday, 16/03/2015

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Chandigarh : Senior SAD leader and former SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur on Snday called for an immediate inquiry into what she alleged as “rags to riches” story of former Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira, saying the Enforcement Directorate should investigate how Khaira was “directly and indirectly facilitating drug trafficking”.

Kaur, who released sensational video footages of “Sukhpal Khaira being showered with currency notes at a function organised by his close confidant Gurdev Singh Debi, who was now under arrest for drug trafficking, at Lakhan ka Padda village in Bholath”. She said the “true character of Khaira and the patronage extended by him to drug lords could be ascertained from the footage”.

However, Khaira denied the charges as “false and baseless”. “I have learnt of the baseless and unsubstantiated allegations leveled against me by Jagir Kaur. I rubbish her hatred with a popular Pujabi quote, “Chhajj tan bole chhannan kyun bole”, a person who had been sentenced to 5 years rigorous jail by a court has no right to point a finger at others,” Khaira said.

Besides Gurdev Debi, who was arrested recently on drug charges, Kaur also released footage of “the former Congress MLA in the company of proclaimed drug offender Dara Mathada”.

She disclosed that “Mathada, who was a close confidant of Khaira, was wanted in the multi-crore drug trafficking case after he had been named as a trafficker by prime accused Anup Kahlon. Dara is presently in Canada which country Khaira had also visited last year”.

The former SGPC president alleged “the video footage proved that Khaira, Gurdev Debi and Dara Mathada were one family”. “The function whose footage was released to the media, was organised by Gurdev Debi and Mathada and Khaira attended the same to patronise the duo as he is their real leader,” she asserted.

Keeping these facts in view, Kaur said there was a need to investigate how “Khaira had accumulated huge wealth”. She said “it was surprising that a person, who had only seventeen acres of land, had built a Rs 5 crore worth house in his native village Ramgarh besides a Rs 40 crore house in Chandigarh. This despite the fact that he had to marry off seven sisters”.

“Khaira also possesses a battery of luxury vehicles and portrays himself as an aristocrat despite the fact that he does not have any business or

industry in his name. How has he accumulated such wealth. It is a fit case for the ED to investigate,” she added.

Giving details, the former SGPC president further alleged “Khaira not only patronised drug traffickers but also former terrorists, land mafia and travel agents who indulged in human trafficking.His gang owns 70 to eighty unlicensed weapons and have let loose a reign of terror in Bholath constituency,” she claimed.

Kaur said “Khaira’s confidants had also ruined the youth of Gurdev’s native village Lakhan ka Padde. Many players of the region have been made addicts and even used as couriers due to which they are in jail now. Everyone knows about their activities and even the patronage extended to them by Khaira but are afraid to complain because the Congress leader has terrorised them into submission.”

The SAD leader demanded an immediate investigation into “Khaira’s ill-gotten wealth, an inquiry into his deep relations with drug dealers, land sharks and property agents in the Doaba belt and an immediate crackdown on the Khaira gang in Bholath constituency”.