In a development that has sent shockwaves through the political landscape, Punjab police took into custody Congress luminary and Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Sukhpal Singh Khaira. The arrest stems from an enduring case filed against him under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The operation unfolded as a meticulously planned morning raid, orchestrated by SP Manjeet Singh and DSP AR Sharma, was executed at his Chandigarh residence, commencing at the break of dawn, around 6:30 AM.
Khaira, who represents the Bholath constituency, resorted to social media during the operation. In a live Facebook broadcast, he engaged in a verbal altercation with the police officers, adamantly demanding a warrant for his apprehension. The law enforcement authorities, in turn, asserted that his arrest was sanctioned based on a prior investigation conducted by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and two Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) officers. However, Khaira asserted that the case had been previously quashed by the highest judicial authority, the Supreme Court.
Furthermore, during the confrontation, the police also informed Khaira’s son, Mehtab Khaira, that his father was being transported to the Jalalabad police station.
Meanwhile, the President of the Punjab Congress, Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, vehemently criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government, characterizing Khaira’s arrest as an act of “political vendetta.” In a statement conveyed through the medium formerly known as Twitter, he asserted, “The recent arrest of @INCPunjab MLA @SukhpalKhaira ji smacks of Political Vendetta, it is an attempt to intimidate the opposition and is a ploy of the @AAPPunjab govt to distract from core issues. We stand strongly with Sukhpal Khaira and will take this fight to its logical conclusion.”
The genesis of this protracted legal saga can be traced back to March 2015, when the police registered an FIR under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Subsequently, as the trial progressed, nine individuals were convicted in 2017 after the authorities uncovered two kilograms of heroin, 24 gold ingots, one domestically produced firearm, and two Pakistani SIM cards in their possession. In the course of the investigation, Khaira’s involvement emerged as an additional accused.
In 2021, Khaira, known for his vociferous criticism of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal, faced apprehension by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on charges of money laundering connected to the same FIR that resulted in his arrest today. However, he secured bail in 2022.
Crucially, on February 16, 2023, a bench of Justices BR Gavai and Vikram Nath at the Supreme Court quashed the summoning order against Khaira in the drug-related case, further complicating the circumstances surrounding his recent arrest.
