Punjab Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira Sent To 14-Day Judicial Custody

Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira who was arrested by the Punjab Police on Thursday over an alleged drug smuggling case in 2015, was sent to 14-day judicial custody by Fazlika's Jalalabad Court.

Officials reported that Sukhpal Khaira was brought before the Jalalabad court under stringent security measures, following the conclusion of his two-day police custody on Saturday.

Sukhpal Khaira, the MLA of Bholath, was taken into custody by the Punjab Police on Thursday during a raid at his home in Chandigarh, following a probe into the 2015 drug case. This operation was carried out by Deputy Inspector General of Police, Swapan Sharma who led the special investigation team.

In March 2015, a case was filed in Jalalabad, Fazilka, involving nine individuals. Among them was Gurdev Singh, believed to be a close associate of Sukhpal Khaira. All of them were accused and subsequently found guilty under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The authorities found 2 kg of heroin, 24 gold bars, a homemade firearm, a .315 caliber gun, and two Pakistan SIM cards from them.

In 2017, the Supreme Court suspended the trial court proceedings against Sukhpal Khaira, who was called in as an extra defendant in the case. The Enforcement Directorate arrested him in 2021 for supposed involvement in a money laundering case related to a 2015 narcotics case. However, he was given bail in 2022.

In February 2023, the Supreme Court dismissed the call order against Sukhpal Khaira related to the drug case.

The Punjab Congress has labeled the police's actions against Sukhpal Khaira as political retaliation, an accusation fervently rejected by the governing Aam Aadmi Party.