Why is Punjab BJP Chief Calling for a Judicial Investigation into the Drug Money Trail?

Chandigarh, June 16 (NationPress) Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar has sent a formal request to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, urging for a comprehensive judicial investigation into the drug money trail in the state, to be overseen by the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Jakhar expressed alarm over the political and bureaucratic support that has allowed drug cartels to thrive in Punjab.

“The seizures of narcotics in Punjab amount to several thousands of crores of rupees, highlighting the deep-rooted corruption. The rapid rise in wealth among numerous Punjab politicians in recent years cannot be mere coincidence. MLAs who once rode bicycles now flaunt luxury cars worth crores, and many possess sprawling farmhouses,” he noted.

“To bring down the bigger players and identify the ultimate beneficiaries—whether they are politicians from various parties or officials—the flow of money must be traced. Without this, the government’s claims in combating drugs in Punjab remain a mere façade,” Jakhar further stated.

This letter from Jakhar follows a claim made by the AAP government regarding the demolition of properties belonging to two infamous drug smugglers in Ludhiana. The operation was executed by the Municipal Corporation Ludhiana, with assistance from the Ludhiana Commissionerate Police.

Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla stated that these operations form part of the government’s intensified efforts against narcotics networks, ensuring that criminals face both arrest and loss of their illegally obtained assets.

Following the demolition of these two properties, a total of 126 properties linked to drug smugglers and built with illicit funds have been demolished since March 1, as he emphasized.

In the first operation, a bulldozer was employed to demolish the residence of a notorious drug smuggler named Gurpal, situated in Amarpura, Ludhiana. In another operation, the property of a female drug smuggler known as Rajinder Kaur, or Rozy, located in Hero Suman Nagar, Lohara village, Ludhiana, was also razed.

Previously, state BJP chief Jakhar accused the government of becoming “commission agents for real estate entities”, asserting that Chief Minister Mann and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal are acting as land aggregators.

“The AAP administration is colluding with real estate developers to illegally seize the prime agricultural land of Ludhiana, deceiving and cheating unsuspecting farmers. On June 19, the people of Ludhiana will vote against this attempt to unlawfully acquire their land and will root out AAP’s corruption,” Jakhar remarked.