Former Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Sunil Jakhar on Saturday, 17 October 2026, wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into an alleged drug trafficking network operating from Punjab's prisons, and a parallel Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation into the money laundering linked to that trade. The letter escalates BJP's political offensive against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state at a moment when Punjab's drug crisis is drawing renewed national scrutiny.

The Murder That Triggered the Letter

Jakhar anchored his appeal in the alleged murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa, describing it as emblematic of a worsening law-and-order breakdown. He wrote: 'I write to you with a heavy heart as the situation in Punjab continues to deteriorate because of drugs. You are already aware of the incident in Mansa in which a young man was shot for opposing the sale of drugs, and your Ministry has sought a response from the Chief Secretary of the Punjab Government regarding this incident.' The Home Ministry had already sought a response from the Punjab Chief Secretary on the killing, signalling central-level concern.

The Drug Inspector Case at the Centre of the Controversy

Jakhar detailed the 2024 arrest of a drug inspector who had served in Mansa. According to Jakhar's letter, Punjab Police uncovered assets totalling crores of rupees in connection with that arrest — including ₹7.09 crore across 24 bank accounts, two bank lockers, ₹1.49 crore in cash, 260 grams of gold, foreign currency, and real estate valued at ₹2.40 crore. He noted that Punjab's own Director General of Police had described the official as 'the kingpin of a gang involving jailed traffickers and facilitating the sale of drugs.'

The former BJP state chief identified the official as drug inspector Sesam Kumar and said the case carried clear money-laundering implications given the cross-border drug trafficking links and the scale of assets recovered — factors that, he argued, made both an NIA and an ED referral obligatory.

Jakhar's Core Allegation Against the AAP Government

Jakhar's sharpest charge is that, rather than refer the case to central agencies, the AAP government reversed course after bail was granted: the drug inspector was not only reinstated in service but was reportedly given a significant posting at his department's headquarters. 'Given the network operating from prisons and the substantial sums of money and property uncovered, the case should also have been referred to the NIA and the ED for investigation,' he stated. He further alleged that the official had become 'a source of illicit earnings for the AAP government' — a claim the AAP government has not yet responded to publicly.

What Jakhar Is Asking For

The letter makes two specific requests to Home Minister Shah. First, an NIA probe into the prison-based drug trafficking network to identify the individuals directing the gang. Second, an ED investigation to trace and seize the proceeds of the alleged money laundering operation. Jakhar also urged that the probe establish who authorised the drug inspector's reinstatement and subsequent promotion despite a pending drug case, arguing that the decision points to political protection at the state level. This comes amid broader BJP criticism of AAP governance in Punjab, and notably, the party's push to have central agencies take over cases where state police actions are seen as inadequate or compromised.