Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira was arrested by Punjab Police on Thursday morning in connection with a drugs case from 2015. Khaira's arrest was live-streamed on Facebook by his son, revealing the MLA's argument with the Punjab Police demanding an arrest warrant during a raid at his residence in Chandigarh at 6 a.m.

Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira detained by Punjab Police in connection with a 2015 case registered under the NDPS Act

(Video source - Sukhpal Singh Khaira's Facebook) pic.twitter.com/vIXzC7GRPJ— ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2023

Khaira was arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and taken to Jalalabad in Fazilka, police said. Leading up to Khaira's arrest, a special investigation team, headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police Swapan Sharma, was formed in April 2023, they added.

Khaira serves as the Congress MLA from Bholath in Punjab and earlier was the leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Legislative Assembly.

Reactions pour in

In view of the detention of Punjab Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira, the Punjab Congress delegation will meet Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit at 6 p.m. on Thursday, September 28.

In response, the Congress MLA criticised the Bhagwant Mann government, asserting that he was being apprehended on false charges and accusing the state of being under a "jungle raj."

Meanwhile, the Punjab Congress condemned the arrest and accused the AAP government of engaging in political vendetta. The state's Congress unit chief, Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, and Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa expressed their solidarity with Khaira.

Warring visited Khaira's residence after his arrest, meeting with his son Mehtab Khaira and other family members. He emphasised their support for the Bholath MLA.

#WATCH | On the Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira detained by police, Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring says, "I condemn this arrest. This is jungle raj...Congress President Kharge called me in the morning and asked us to fight for Khaira. His family has said that… pic.twitter.com/0i5NxSMJAC

— ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2023

Questioning the police's actions, the Punjab Congress chief raised concerns about the investigation that led to Khaira's arrest after eight years, stating that it reflects a prevailing "jungle raj" in the state.

In a post on X, Warring said, "The recent arrest of MLA Sukhpal Khaira ji smacks of political vendetta. It is an attempt to intimidate the opposition and is a ploy of the AAP government in Punjab to distract (people) from core issues. We stand strongly with Sukhpal Khaira and will take this fight to its logical conclusion."

Bajwa added, "The arrest of senior Congress leader Sukhpal Khaira is extremely deplorable. The AAP government in Punjab has stooped to an all-time low and resorted to vendetta politics. Sukhpal Singh Khaira has been outspoken and raised his voice against the wrongdoings and irregularities committed by CM Bhagwant Mann's government." He also vowed that the Punjab Congress, within the bounds of the law, would leave no stone unturned to secure Khaira's release.

Why was Khaira arrested?

The drug case in question was registered in March 2015 in Jalalabad, Fazilka. Nine individuals were initially booked and later convicted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The police had seized 2 kg of heroin, 24 gold biscuits, one country-made pistol, a .315-bore pistol, and two Pakistani SIM cards from them.

Khaira's involvement in the case emerged during the police investigation. However, in 2017, the Supreme Court stayed the trial court proceedings against Khaira, who was summoned as an additional accused in the matter. He was subsequently arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in 2021 on money laundering charges related to the 2015 drug case but was granted bail in 2022.

In February 2023, the apex court quashed the summoning order against Khaira in the 2015 drug case.

He was also accused of aiding Gurdev Singh, a suspected cross-border heroin smuggler, but strongly refuted those claims and welcomed a thorough investigation. In April 2018, however, a government-appointed panel led by Justice Mehtab Singh Gill found that all 17 cases against Sukhpal Singh Khaira were unfounded and urged action to be taken against the implicated police officers.

First Published:Sept 28, 2023 2:08 PM IST