ED ready to question Majithia, awaiting nod from Delhi

Wednesday, 26/11/2014

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=119575&boxid=62231&uid=&dat=2014-11-26

Chandigarh : With the Opposition demanding the resignation of Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia and Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) Avinash Chander, whose names have reportedly cropped up in the Rs 6,000 crore synthetic drug racket in the state, the SAD leadership is under immense pressure.

But it has decided on a wait and watch policy.

While the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has questioned Avinash Chander, former Jails Minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur and his son, it is now preparing to summon Majithia for questioning on his alleged links with those involved in the drug racket run by dismissed DSP Jagdish Bhola. There are indications that the high-profile minister, who is brother-in-law of Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, may be interrogated any time now. The ED has already prepared a questionnaire.

Sources say Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was told about the status of the case this morning. He was told that the ED was awaiting the permission of the Union Finance Ministry to summon Majithia. Majithia reportedly held a closed-door meeting with the party president later in the day.

Phillaur was asked to step down as minister in May this year, after the ED began probing his and his family's links with business man Chunni Lal Gaba for his role in the drug racket.

The ED is likely to question Majithia on bank account details of his firms and properties since 2007-08, his encounters or monetary deals with the accused in the racket, including Maninder Singh alias Bittu Aulakh, Jagjit Chahal and NRIs Satpreet Singh alias Satta and Parminder Singh Pindi. The officials are reportedly collecting details of the assets owned by CPS Avinash , former minister Phillaur and his son Damanvir.

Even though the ED is not required to seek the permission of the Finance Ministry and the Joint Director posted in Jalandhar is competent to give the green signal to the questioning of any minister, the officials are treading cautiously, taking the top bosses in Delhi into confidence in the process. The ED, it is learnt, has a strong case against CPS Avinash.

Counter-offensive

Even as former MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira has written an open letter to Majithia, asking him to quit and pave the way for a fair probe into the drug racket, the SAD has launched a frontal attack on the Opposition, especially Punjab Pradesh Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa. In a statement, SAD general Secretary Avtar Singh Brar and former Deputy Speaker Darbari Lal, questioned Bajwa for “weakening the offensive launched by the SAD-BJP government.” They raked up the issue of cases under the NDPS Act registered against members of the Bajwa family in the past and the letter written by former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh against Bajwa, highlighting these cases.