Chandigarh, November 29, 2019 (Yes Punjab News)
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today demanded the immediate dismissal of Jails minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, stating the racket involving control of Kabaddi tournaments through drug money by notorious gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria from prison could not be probed as long as he continued to receive the Jail minister’s patronage.
Talking to newsmen here, former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said it was shocking that the North India Circle Style Kabaddi Federation had come forward to disclose how Jaggu Bhagwanpuria was controlling Kabaddi tournaments with the help of drug money by intimidating and threatening genuine organizers through his associates in Australia and New Zealand.
“The Federation has in a letter to the State DGP given telephone numbers of Bhagwanpuria’s associates and even stressed that these associates including Kawal Singh of Sukha Raju village in Gurdaspur had political backing”.
Mr Majithia said the expose by the Kabaddi Federation had lent further weight to the assertion made by the SAD and civil society that the Minister – gangster nexus was responsible for the gruesome murder of former Akali Sarpanch Dalbir Singh Dhilwan.
The former minister said despite all this and even assertions by top police officers that Jaggu Bhagwanpuria was running an extortion racket from jail, attempts were still being made to cover up the matter and give a clean chit to the dreaded gangster as well as Jails minister Sukhjinder Randhawa.
He said it was shocking that within hours of SAD legislators meeting the State DGP and submitting documentary evidence about threats being issued by Bhagwanpuria from jail, Inspector General of Police Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh issued a statement to give a clean chit to the ‘A’ category gangster. He said the State DGP should look into this unprofessional conduct and take action in the matter.
Mr Majithia said this was not all. A new video had emerged in addition to other videos being released from jail which lionized Bhagwanpuria and his criminal activities. “Punjab Pradesh Congress President Sunil Jakhar should tell what he has to say on this”, he said while asserting that it did not behove political leaders to provide shelter to any gangster.
He however appreciated that Sports minister Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi had talked about the angst of Kabaddi promoters and players by stating that both of them were being threatened by gangsters.
“The Sports minister can only be speaking from firsthand knowledge. The government should act immediately and end exploitation and persecution of Kabaddi players by gangsters however high their reach may be”, Mr Majithia added.
