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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Special Court on Tuesday found former Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Jagdish Singh Bhola and 17 others guilty in a massive drug trafficking case worth approximately Rs 6,000 crore.
The case, which surfaced in March 2013, came to light following the arrest of Canadian NRI Anoop Singh Kahlon in Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab. Bhola, a dismissed DSP, was subsequently arrested, sparking controversy with his allegations against prominent figures. The court has sentenced Bhola, along with co-accused Manpreet, Sukhraj, Sukhjit Sukh, and Maninder, to ten years of imprisonment. Bhola's wife, Gurpreet Kaur, received a three-year sentence. Out of the 23 accused, four have died, and two have been declared Proclaimed Offender. The case unveiled a major international drug trafficking racket, with Bhola's claims implicating high-profile individuals, including politician Bikram Singh Majithia. Based on his revelations, authorities also interrogated and arrested leaders Bittu Aulakh and Jagdish Singh Chahal, who were involved in a pharmaceutical company in Amritsar. This case has highlighted the deep-rooted issue of drug trafficking in the region and the involvement of influential personalities. The investigation was done under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, initiated by the office in the year 2013 based on eight different FIRs registered at different police stations in Punjab. Properties and assets worth approximately Rs 95 crore have also been provisionally attached to this case. It is the biggest conviction order in terms of the number of accused convicted in a single case till date by ED. (ANI)
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