A court has issued non-bailable warrants against Punjab leader of opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira and four others in a case relating to dealing with narcotics drugs.
The court of Fazilka Additional District and Sessions Judge Sandeep Singh Jossan directed the prosecution to file a supplementary challan against Khaira and the others including his personal security officer and his personal assistant, The Tribune reported.
The court sentenced nine convicts in an international heroin smuggling case on Tuesday and Khaira’s name came up due to his alleged association with one of the convicts, Gurdev Singh, who was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.
Akali Dal leaders claimed phone call records showed 77 phone calls between Khaira and Gurdev Singh who was the chairman of the market committee, Dhilwan, and demanded the former’s resignation as the leader of the opposition in the Punjab legislative assembly, accusing him of having links with a drug smuggler.
Sukhpla Khaira, who quit Congress party to join the Aam Aadmi Party before the 2017 state elections, refuted the allegations and claimed political vendetta.
He said the Congress and Akali Dal had joined hands to silence him as he had been exposing both the parties.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader and former cabinet minister Dr Daljit Cheema said AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal should come clean on the allegations against Khaira.
“Mr Kejriwal owes all the Punjabis an apology for appointing Sukhpal Khaira the leader of the opposition despite his association with drug smugglers. He made drugs an election issue in the election,” said Cheema.
State Congress president Sunil Jakhar said Khaira had “forfeited” his right to be in the position of the leader of the opposition.
Mr Khaira refused to resign from the position of the leader of the opposition saying other leaders had held on to their posts despite facing court cases.
“If Sukhbir Badal, Parkash Singh Badal, Bikram Mjithia and Captain Amarinder Singh are willing to give up their positions for morality, I will resign in five minutes,” said Khaira.
HS Phoolka, a senior AAP figure said Khaira had been wrongly framed.
“It is astonishing that he has been summoned without any FIR against him or his indictment in any inquiry. This is a sheer political vendetta,” he said.
However, Mr Jakhar of the Congress rubbished the vendetta claim. “He has been summoned by a court, not the police or a government official,” the Gurdaspur MP said.
