Ferozepur BJP leader arrested on drug charges

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, August 30 

Another BJP leader has been arrested on drug trafficking charges, police said recently, dealing a severe blow to the BJP’s agenda of confronting its coalition partner and long-time ally Shiromani Akali Dal for the latter's alleged links to such activities.

In the latest development, Rajasthan police have arrested BJP (Rural) Minority Morcha district president Jarnail Singh, also known as ‘Judge Nimana’— a resident of Sodhinagar in Ferozepur — and three others, Sukhwinder Singh, Sadhuram and Pargat , all of who are residents of the district, drug trafficking charges.

Ram Bilas, the Station Head Officer of Nimbahera Sadar police station — which comes under Rajasthan’s Chhitorgarh district — claimed that the suspects carried 190 kg poppy husk and 3 kg opium, which they are suspected to have smuggled from, Madhya Pradesh.

The suspects have been booked under section 15/18 /61/85 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Several BJP leaders from Punjab have been caught in the drug trafficking net in the past few months: four from Ferozepur alone. Ferozepur district president Jugraj Singh Katora, district president (Yuva Morcha) Jagpal Singh Sandhu alias Jimmy; block president (Mallanwala) Gurcharan Singh; and Amrinder Singh Chinna alias Pothi, the OSD to state BJP chief Kamal Sharma were arrested from Ferozepur from accepting bribes to help drug and fake arms license dealers escape custody.

On June 29, Rajasthan police arrested two senior leaders of the alliance — Asafwala Block Samiti member Vijay Kumar Kamboj alias Daddi from Fazilka district and SAD Block President (Rural) from Fazilka district, Mahal Singh Rana — with 7.5 kg of poppy husk in their possession at Pallu sub-tehsil in Hanumangarh in Rajasthan.

Their supporters Lekhram, Balbir Singh and Ved Parkash, all of who belong to the Fazlika  — which is represented by State Health Minister Surjit Kumar Jayani — were also booked under the NDPS Act.