The Ludhiana courtroom of further classes decide Shiv Mohan Garg on Thursday acquitted “drug lord” Ranjit Singh, alias Raja Kandola and his confederate Gurnam Singh in an alleged drug case of 2017.
Punjab Police had claimed that Kandola was in contact with Pakistan-based drug smugglers by way of telephone from jail and would facilitate smuggling of heroin for distribution amongst his purchasers.
Kandola is at the moment lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail.
A local of Happowal village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr) district, Kandola had shifted to the UK in late Nineteen Nineties. He was booked in a number of drug instances by Punjab Police. He was additionally infamously referred to as “ICE drug lord” for allegedly working a racket manufacturing celebration medicine from methamphetamine to ephedrine, and getting heroin provide from Pakistan, in line with police claims. He owned a number of properties throughout Punjab, the UK and the US, and plenty of of his properties have already been hooked up by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in instances of cash laundering.
The Ludhiana courtroom on Thursday acquitted Kandola and Gurnam Singh within the FIR registered by Punjab Police’s Particular Job Drive (STF) at Ludhiana’s Moti Nagar police station on July 19, 2017.
In keeping with the case particulars, two different accused — Palwinderjeet Singh Sidhu, alias Pinda and Ravinder Singh, alias Ravi — had been held for allegedly smuggling heroin. A complete of 5 kg heroin was recovered from them. The police had additional claimed that Kandola, who was then lodged in Kapurthala jail, was allegedly in contact with Pakistan-based drug smugglers and had facilitated smuggling of heroin with the connivance of Pinda and Ravi from the neighboring nation for distribution amongst his purchasers. The FIR was registered below sections 22, 27A and 29 of the Narcotic Medicine and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Moti Nagar police station.
Advocate S C Gupta, counsel for Kandola, stated that the police did not show the costs towards Kandola and Gurnam Singh. “The courtroom has acquitted each Raja Kandola and Gurnam Singh because of lack of proof. The prosecution failed to determine allegations that Kandola was in contact with Pakistan-based smugglers by way of telephone from jail,” stated Gupta.
Pinda and Ravi had been declared proclaimed offenders after they didn’t seem within the hearings after getting bail, stated Gupta. “The police had claimed a restoration of two.50 kg heroin every from Ravi and Pinda. There was no restoration from Kandola,” stated Gupta.
Public prosecutor within the case, Advocate Manjit Singh, confirmed that Kandola and Gurnam Singh have been acquitted by the courtroom.
Advocate Gupta added that Kandola in his defence had submitted within the courtroom that he was implicated in “false drug instances” by “tainted cop” inspector Inderjeet Singh, now dismissed. The cop was dismissed from service after alleged restoration of 14 kg heroin, AK-47 rifle and Rs 16 lakh from his official residence in Phagwara in 2017.
“Kandola is at the moment lodged in Tihar Jail and going through trial in a case registered in Delhi. He has been acquitted in 4 instances and discharged in three others which had been registered in Punjab,” stated Gupta.
A day after being booked in bribery case, inspector Arshpreet Okay Grewal makes severe allegations together with sexual harassment towards senior officers in Moga Police @iepunjab @IndianExpress https://t.co/u3YfNPnEgz
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On December 20 final 12 months, Kandola and 13 others had been acquitted by a courtroom in Jalandhar within the notorious ICE (methamphetamine), heroin and different celebration medicine provide case of 2012. The courtroom had acquitted all accused, together with Kandola, his spouse Rajwant Kaur, son Bally Singh and others, on the premise of “good thing about doubt” after the Punjab Police failed to supply sufficient proof towards them.
The FIR was registered by Jalandhar rural police on June 1, 2012, at Kartarpur police station claiming that Kandola and his accomplices had been concerned in manufacturing and supplying ICE drug to a number of celebration golf equipment throughout Punjab and the nation and had been concerned in manufacturing ICE utilizing methamphetamine. The Punjab Police had pegged the drug racket at Rs 200 crore. Kandola was arrested by Delhi Police in August 2012 after he managed to flee from the custody of Punjab Police.
He was also referred to as “BMW King” for his love for luxurious vehicles and the FIR additionally talked about that he provided medicine to his purchasers in high-end autos.
