A Punjab court has sent Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira to 14-day judicial custody in connection with a 2015 drugs case. Tight security arrangements were made as Khaira was produced in court in Jalalabad after completing his two-day police remand. Khaira, who represents Bholath, was arrested on Thursday from his residence in Chandigarh.
The Punjab Police arrested Khaira following an investigation conducted by a special investigation team led by Deputy Inspector General of Police Swapan Sharma. The case dates back to March 2015 when it was registered in Jalalabad, Fazilka. Nine individuals, including Gurdev Singh, who was allegedly a close associate of Khaira, were booked and later convicted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The police seized 2 kg of heroin, 24 gold biscuits, a country-made pistol, a .315-bore pistol, and two Pakistani SIM cards from them.
Khaira’s involvement in the case emerged during the police probe. However, in 2017, the Supreme Court stayed the trial court proceedings against Khaira, who was summoned as an additional accused. He was later arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in 2021 for money laundering linked to the 2015 drugs case but was granted bail in 2022. In February 2023, the Supreme Court quashed the summoning order against him.
The Punjab Congress has labeled the police action against Khaira as political vendetta, a charge vehemently denied by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party.