Drug lord Akshay Kumar Chhabra's meteoric rise left his neighbours stupefied

Tribune News Service

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Ludhiana, January 10

Shopkeepers of the New Grain Market, Gill Road, were impressed by the success of Akshay Kumar Chhabra (30) whose business grew in a short span but were also sensing that something was wrong.

Organised ‘langars’ regularly

Chhabra and his family members were religious. Every Thursday, they used to organise a langar outside their shop and even on every religious occasion, the family members could be seen helping others but we never knew the reality. A shopkeeper

His neighbours were surprised at his business growth and felt that he must have invested crores but from where he got this money.

Shopkeepers were awestruck when they got to know that Akshay was a drug lord and were running an international drug syndicate in the guise of trading of edible oils, ghee, rice, etc.

“Just two years back, Chhabra had set up a trading firm and was doing a profitable business but his arrest was a shocker for us as we had been thinking that he became millionaire with his unique business model. But when he was exposed, we are shocked to know the reality,” a shopkeeper said.

Within a year of setting up a trading business, Chhabra had bought a fleet of commercial vehicles for business purpose and also took some godowns on rent in the market, but no shopkeepers could gauge that this he was involved in heroin smuggling at the international level.

Another shopkeeper said Chhabra’s father was facing some illness while his brother had a fractured leg.

“Chhabra and his family members were religious. Every Thursday, they used to organise a langar outside their shop and even on every religious occasion, the family members could be seen helping others but we never knew the reality,” added a shopkeeper.

A shopkeeper, whose shop located adjoining the godown sealed by the NCB, said, almost for a year, he saw some vehicles came to load and unload some bags, but he could not gauge what was containing in the bags.

“Mostly, the shutters of the godown used to be down and some people would remain inside it,” said a shopkeeper.

Sources said the police were also keeping tabs on his activities and he was also reportedly picked up for questioning but due to lack of evidence, he could not be arrested.

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