The death of a key accused in the alleged smuggling of biggest ever narcotics haul worth Rs 2,700 crore from Pakistan, who was lodged in a jail in Amritsar on Sunday has stoked a fresh controversy in Punjab with the opposition seeking a High Court monitored probe.
Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has already ordered a magisterial probe into his death. The magisterial enquiry will be in addition to the postmortem, which will be conducted by a board of doctors, and the judicial proceedings under the CrPC to be conducted by a judicial magistrate.
The accused, Gurpinder Singh (29), a rock salt importer, was arrested in connection with the biggest ever narcotics haul in which the Customs Department had seized 532 kg of heroin worth Rs 2,700 crore at Attari border in Amritsar, which was smuggled into India from Pakistan in a truck. Gurpinder Singh was apprehended by the Customs Department on June 30 and since July 2 he was sent to judicial remand.
SAD DEMANDS HC-MONITORED PROBE INTO DEATH OF HIGH PROFILE ACCUSED IN JAILS
Demanding a Punjab and Haryana High Court monitored probe into the death of high profile accused in judicial custody, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Monday sought the sacking of Punjab Jails Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa for the complete breakdown of administration in the state jails.
“The death of 548 kg heroin drug haul prime accused Gurpinder Singh in Amritsar jail has raised several questions primarily because accused involved in extremely sensitive cases are dying in Punjab jails,” said the former Minister and SAD leader Maheshinder Singh Grewal. He said that it was strange that Gurpinder had been denied appropriate medical attention. “It needs to be ascertained if this was deliberate and whether there was any foul play behind the death of Gurpinder as is being claimed by his family,” he said.
Grewal said that earlier, the sacrilege accused Mohinderpal Bittu was murdered in Nabha jail after being allowed out of his cell despite express orders that he be kept in isolation and not be allowed to mingle with other prisoners.
AAP SEEKS PROBE BY STF UNDER SITTING HC JUDGE
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) senior leader and the Leader of Opposition in Vidhan Sabha Harpal Singh Cheema has dubbed the “custodial death” of Rs 2700 crore heroin haul’s main accused Gurpinder Singh as a big conspiracy, while demanding a time-bound investigation of the entire episode by the Special Task Force chief Harpreet Singh Sidhu under the supervision of the sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
AAP MLA from Sunam Aman Arora also raised serious questions over the “custodial deaths” of accused serving terms in different cases in Punjab jails.
“The death indicates that the state government and the police is working under the pressure of drug traders operating in the State,” he said adding that the Chief Minister, who is also the Home Minister of the State, must take responsibility of the incidents.