Clear evidence of nexus between Majithia, drug traffickers: EX-DGP
Former Punjab DGP Sidharth Chattopadhyaya on Friday claimed that there existed “100 per cent proof” of nexus between SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia and drug traffickers but previous state governments did not act against him despite enough evidence to establish it.
Chattopadhyaya said this interacting with mediapersons after recording his statement before the Vigilance Bureau in the disproportionate assets case registered against the Akali leader.
Majithia was arrested from his Amritsar residence two days ago. A Mohali court sent him to a seven-day Vigilance custody on Thursday.
Apart from amassing wealth beyond his known sources of income, he has been accused of laundering Rs 540 crore of drug money.
Chattopadhyaya said the investigation reports submitted by him when he headed the probe against the leader contained everything except the money laundering trail established by the Vigilance probe now.
“My investigation report had recommended that the money trail should be probed,” he said. The former state DGP said the previous Congress and SAD-BJP governments did not take action on his report despite knowing about Majithia’s links with drug traffickers.
He said drug smuggling and money laundering were part of a broader network, including dismissed officers such as AIG Raj Jit Singh, who is yet to be arrested, and Inspector Inderjit Singh, currently in jail.
According to sources, Chattopadhyaya’s involvement in the current probe could lead to the disclosure of several names in the police and widen its scope beyond Majithia.
Back in 2017, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had ordered a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate the nexus between police officers and drug traffickers.
Chattopadhyaya, who was the DGP then, was appointed its head. The court had specifically directed the probe to focus on alleged collusion between Inspector Inderjit Singh —already dismissed on drug-related charges — and his superior, Raj Jit Singh.
However, Chattopadhyaya expanded the scope of the probe and submitted multiple reports, including the one prepared in his personal capacity.
Chattopadhyaya’s personal report sparked a controversy.
Former DGPs Suresh Arora and Dinkar Gupta opposed its disclosure, calling it beyond the court’s mandate and suggesting it was driven by personal ambition to secure the top post.
In 2023, the High Court dismissed Chattopadhyaya’s individual report, ruling that it exceeded the original scope of investigation and was not endorsed by the SIT as a collective body.
Nonetheless, his findings had far-reaching consequences.
Based on earlier SIT reports, the Punjab Government dismissed AIG Raj Jit Singh in 2023 and charged him with criminal conspiracy, record tampering and extortion.
He was accused of recommending double promotions for Inderjit Singh, despite his chequered history. He was also accused accumulating disproportionate assets linked to drug-related corruption. Majithia had accused Chattopadhyaya of acting with mala fide intent, alleging that he was seeking favours with previous Congress government.
Ex-ED Deputy Director to record statement today
Former Deputy Director of the Enforcement Directorate Niranjan Singh will appear before the Vigilance Bureau on Saturday to record his statement.
His investigation report formed the basis of the registration of a drug smuggling case against Majithia on December 20, 2021.
Niranjan Singh had carried out a detailed probe but was transferred out of Punjab allegedly due to political pressure.
“I have been called to the VB office on Saturday at Mohali at 12:30 pm. Though all records and investigations that I had conducted against Majithia are in possession of the ED office in Jalandhar, I shall try to give them whatever information or findings I remember off hand,” he said.
He said they had started examining 102 people in a drug trafficking case.
Drug lord Jagdish Bhola had taken Majithia’s name, he added.
“We had summoned Majithia to the ED’s Jalandhar office in December 2014. I had re-summoned him but he did not appear for the second date. I had just started probe against him when I was transferred out to West Bengal,” he said.
“While the ED was investigating him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the VB has taken up the Prevention of Corruption Act case and claims to have found a money trail. This money trail can be investigated by the current ED officials too,” he said.
Punjab