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Time of India
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Ex-aide claims Majithia introduced ‘drug traffickers' as his brothers; says wrote to Badal in 2016, but was ignored
Mohali: In a fresh twist to the ongoing investigation into Punjab's multi-crore drug racket, former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Amarpal Singh Ajnala, also known as Boni Ajnala, on Sunday recorded his statement before the vigilance bureau (VB), making explosive revelations against arrested party leader . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Ajnala, once an aide of Majithia and now a BJP leader, appeared before vigilance officials at the Mohali headquarters and later addressed the media, alleging that Majithia personally introduced him to individuals now known to be key drug traffickers. "Majithia introduced me to (Parminder Singh) Pindi, Bhinda, Satpreet Satta, and Bittu Aulakh at his residence, calling them his brothers," claimed Ajnala. "But I later found out they were deeply involved in drug smuggling, with clients even in Canada. I raised the alarm back then and even wrote a DO letter to the then chief minister, Parkash Singh Badal, in 2016, but the matter was deliberately buried," he added. Ajnala said Sunday's appearance marked his fifth hearing before the vigilance bureau in connection with the drug case. He maintained that he had been openly raising his voice against drugs since 2013, even when the SAD-led govt was in power, and reiterated his stand on all the statements he made in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Speaking about Bittu Aulakh, Ajnala claimed that Aulakh was once arrested from Amritsar in a drug smuggling case registered in Banur, but was later acquitted by the Mohali court. "That doesn't mean he's clean. There are layers of cover-up here that need to be investigated properly," he insisted. Ajnala alleged that police cases registered in Banur related to the drug racket were either filed away or tampered with, and that crucial jimni (supplementary) reports went missing. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "If land records and case files were not tampered with during the Channi govt, the truth about this entire network would have come out much earlier," he said. Similar exposures were made by former deputy director, Enforcement Directorate, Niranjan Singh during his statement to the vigilance bureau in Mohali. Majithia, who has consistently denied the charges, was recently arrested by the vigilance bureau from his Amritsar residence in a case of having assets disproportionate to his income. At present, he is in police custody.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Akal Takht jathedar calls for Damdami Taksal unity to address religious conversions in Punjab
Amritsar: Akal Takht officiating jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj , struggling to receive unanimous support across all sections of the panth due to the circumstances of his appointment, has appealed for unity among the three factions of the Damdami Taksal to help address religious conversions in Punjab. During his visit to the Gurdaspur region, Jathedar Gargaj expressed concern over the rising incidents of religious conversions, claiming he made stops at villages every 10km and witnessed large gatherings that highlighted the seriousness of the issue. Emphasising the need for unity, he said that the Panth should come together on the matter. He appealed to the Damdami Taksal factions led by Baba Harnam Singh Dhumma (Chowk Mehta), Bhai Ram Singh (Sangrawan), and Bhai Amrik Singh (Ajnala), along with other Sikh sampardayas, to unite in addressing and countering the growing challenge of conversions. Bhai Amrik Singh, chief, Damdami Taksal (Ajnala), said that unity is easier said than achieved, asserting that Jathedar Gargaj might not be fully aware of the reasons behind the split of the Taksal into three factions. He suggested that a deeper understanding of the circumstances leading to the division should precede such a call for unity. Regarding the issue of conversions, Bhai Amrik Singh said the Ajnala faction of the Damdami Taksal continues to actively organise "Amrit Sanchar" programmes as part of its efforts to strengthen Sikh values and identity. On the other hand, Avtar Singh Bhuttar, a close associate of Dhumma, said the Damdami Taksal (Chowk Mehta) has been actively engaged in preaching Sikhism and countering religious conversions. In addition to organising regular "Amrit Sanchar" ceremonies, he said the Taksal also launches month-long campaigns dedicated to the propagation of Sikh teachings. He further said that a special "Amrit Sanchar" initiative will be held from May 1 to 31, specifically aimed at addressing conversions. Rajandeep Singh, spokesperson of Damdami Taksal (Sangrawan), could not be contacted for his comments. MSID:: 120484344 413 |
