Randhawa, Majithia spar over gangster links

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 3

Jails Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa was seen holding his own government responsible for not putting Akali leader Bikram Majithia behind bars for his alleged complicity in drug cases.

The issue cropped up during the zero hour, as Majithia raised the issue of rising crime and gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria running an extortion racket from jail under the alleged patronage of the Jails Minister.

Blaming the minister for the deteriorating law and order situation, Majithia raised pointed fingers at Randhawa. Hitting back, Randhawa said it was the weakness of his government that it failed to arrest Majithia for his alleged acts of omission and commission. AAP MLAs too joined the issue with Randhawa.

Majithia, in a press conference outside the House later, said the Jails Minister’s collusion with gangsters had been proved by the police action in two criminal cases, including an admission to this effect by the DGP. He demanded that the minister be dismissed and an independent probe be ordered into the “nexus”.

“Gangsters are indulging in extortion and contract killings from inside jails. They have easy access to phones. They have become so emboldened that they are celebrating birthdays in jail by cutting cakes and then putting videos on social media,” alleged the Akali leader. He also alleged a nexus between Congress leaders and gangsters in the liquor business.

Majithia said DGP Dinkar Gupta had yesterday claimed that former Akali sarpanch Baba Gurdeep Singh had been murdered by gangster Harman Bhullar owing to political rivalry. “Bhullar was associated with gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. Bhullar’s mother had been made Congress nominee against Gurdeep. The very fact that the Congress is encouraging gangsters by bringing them into the political mainstream proves they are hand in glove with them,” he claimed.