Chandigarh, March 3, 2020 (Yes Punjab News)
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) legislative wing today said Jails minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa’s collusion with gangsters had been proven by police action in two criminal cases including an admission to this effect by the State DGP and demanded that the minister be dismissed and an independent probe be ordered into the Minister- Gangster nexus.
Addressing a press conference at the Vidhan Sabha, former minister Bikram Singh Majithia said jails had become safe havens for criminals and that was why the law and order situation had deteriorated in Punjab. “Gangsters are indulging in ransoms, extortion and contract killings from inside jails. Youth are not being provided smart phones, but gangsters have access to them.
They have become so emboldened that they are celebrating their birthdays in jail by cutting cakes and putting videos on social media”. He said in such an environment the common man did not feel safe any longer and this was why professionals and businessmen were depositing ransoms rather than report extortion calls to the police.
Mr Majithia said this nexus between Congress leaders and gangsters had also had an adverse impact on the State’s economy. Excise income has reduced by Rs 525 crore this year because gangsters have entered liquor trade.
They are running an Rs 1,000 crore nexus from jail which includes liquor, land deals, extortions, contract killings and hosting of Kabaddi tournaments abroad”.
Meanwhile giving details of the two police cases which had proved the Jails minister’s involvement, Mr Majithia said State DGP Dinkar Gupta had announced yesterday that Akali Sarpanch Baba Gurdeep Singh had been murdered by gangster Harman Bhullar following political rivalry.
He said Bhullar was associated with gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria who was being consistently sheltered by Sukhjinder Randhawa. He said Bhullar’s mother had been made the Congress nominee against Baba 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 added.
Speaking about the other case which concerned gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, the SAD leader said the State police had recently affirmed the SAD’s contention that NRI Gurwinder Bains had been attacked by the Bhagwanpuria gang.
“We had submitted a complaint in this regard to the DGP few months back. Various Kabaddi Federations also complained that the Bhagwanpuria gang was intimidating Kabaddi players and had named Kanwal and Manjot, who are close associates of the Jails minster, as those responsible. No action was taken then but now on January 25 the Hoshiarpur police named both Kanwal and Manjot in the FIR pertaining to shots fired at the NRI’s residence after the arrest of the prime accused”.
Mr Majithia said as per the police accused Shahbaz Singh alias Shahu had testified that he had attacked the NRI’s residence at the instance of Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Binny Gujjar to take revenge against the NRI for not listening to the dictates of Kanwal and Manjot.
Mr Majithia also disclosed that due to pressure from the Jails minister the police was not acting against the Bhagwanpuria family. He said though Bhagwanpuria’s wife was murdered in mysterious circumstances in April last year and a murder case was registered, the police were not proceeding in the matter because of Bhagwanpuria’s mother Harjit Kaur’s political connections with Sukhjinder Randhawa.
The SAD legislative members present at the press conference with Mr Majithia included – Lakhbir Singh Lodhinangal, Dr Sukhwinder Sukhi, Dilraj Singh Bhundur, Kanwarjit Barkandi and Baldev Khaira.
