Akalis allege extortion racket, seek CBI probe

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 24

The SAD on Sunday demanded an inquiry by the CBI or a sitting judge of the High Court into the alleged Rs 1,000-crore extortion racket being run by gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpur and his associates under the patronage of Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa.

Addressing a press conference here, SAD leaders Bikram Singh Majithia and Daljit Singh Cheema demanded that Randhawa should be booked and arrested for extending patronage to Congressmen who brutally murdered former Akali sarpanch Dalbir Dhilwan besides investigating the role of Jaggu in the killing as well as extortion racket being run by him from the jail.

Randhawa has, however, denied the allegations. He counter-alleged that Jaggu had links with SAD leaders instead.

The SAD leaders said a Central inquiry by the CBI or the NIA or even that by a sitting judge of the High Court could alone expose the minister-gangster-police role in the gruesome murder of Dalbir as well as that of Jaggu in extortions and contract killings and forcible control over kabaddi players and tournaments.

The leaders said even after seven days of Dhilwan’s murder, his killers were still at large. “This is all because of the influence of Randhawa who is giving shelter to the killers. If the police are serious about arresting the assailants, it should search the residence of the minister as well as his close associates.”

Majithia also claimed of a documentary evidence to link Jaggu with the Jails Minister. He said Jaggu and his brother Manu were close associates of Randhawa’s aide Babbu Sukharaju, whose nephews Kawal and Manjot were running a kabaddi club in New Zealand.

Akali leaders said despite evidence linking the gangsters with the minister and a statement of Dhilwan’s son that his father’s death was a political murder, the police were not taking any action.

Randhawa denies charge

Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has denied Akalis’ allegation that gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpur was running the racket under his patronage. He counter-alleged that the gangster had links with Akali leaders.