JALANDHAR: Dropping a bombshell on the ruling SAD-BJP government and also on opposition Congress, former Punjab DGP (prisons) Shashi Kant on Tuesday disclosed six names, including two SAD ministers, from the much-talked about list of politicians and other high profile persons prepared by the intelligence department of the state police for patronizing drug pedaling in the state.
Addressing a press conference here, Shashi Kant said the list was prepared after chief minister Parkash Singh Badal wanted the intelligence wing to prepare a list of anti-social and mischievous elements.
"I included those patronizing drug rackets also. As big names figured in the list, the CM told me that there was no need for me to get into these things as there were several other tasks," he said.
The names of politicians, which Shashi Kant claimed figured in the list, included SAD ministers Gulzar Singh Ranike and Ajit Singh Kohar, chief parliamentary secretary Virsa Singh Valtoha, former SAD MLA Veer Singh Lopoke and sitting Congress legislator from Amritsar (West) O P Soni and Jalandhar-based BJP leader Jimmy Kalia.
Kant, who was ADGP (intelligence) in the SAD-BJP government, claimed that it was a four-page list, which was prepared by the intelligence department in 2007, and he gave it to the CM. He alleged that the list was kept under wraps and little action was taken as political careers of those named in it thrived after 2007 even after it was submitted to CM Badal.
The former top cop, who also runs an NGO, Nasha Virodhi Manch, and has been raking up the issue of drugs vociferously, claimed that he was even asked by CM Badal to get a joint raid by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) stopped, which they had planned to conduct on SAD minister Ranike.
"Badal was tipped off by his sources that NCB and ED were about to conduct a raid on Ranike. He called me to his residence immediately and asked me to get the raids stopped using my network among senior officials and I managed to do that," Kant alleged.
Shashi Kant clarified that Punjab revenue minister Bikram Majithia's name did not figure in the list. "But after Jagdish Singh Bhola named him, the Badals, instead of ordering a thorough inquiry, gave Majithia a clean chit within minutes," he said. Names of around 15-20 police officers -- both from IPS and PPS -- also figured in the list, along with some administrative officers and NGOs, he revealed.
He also questioned BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi over charges that drugs were used during his Jagraon rally and that the same thing would happen in Bathinda. "How can Modi, who claims to be a national leader, shake hands with those patronizing drug smugglers," he asked. BJP leader Arun Jaitley was also ducking the issue and those in the list were campaigning for him, he said.
"I was a confidante of Badals, but later fell out of favour after I refused to do certain jobs. The rift started when I refused to fix some persons, who had damaged a bus of Orbit transport company in Malwa, in NDPS Act cases as asked for by Badals. Then they realized that I will not do everything as desired by them," Kant alleged.
He said that when he became DGP (prisons), after remaining sidelined for a couple of years, he realized that heavy quantities of drugs were being smuggled into Punjab's jails.