ED not to relieve official till Jan 10

CHANDIGARH: : The enforcement directorate (ED), the central financial investigation agency, on Friday assured the Punjab and Haryana high court that it will not repatriate a deputy director-level official, who is reportedly part of the team investigating the multi-crore Jagdish Bhola drug racket case, from its Chandigarh office till January 10,.

The assurance was given by additional solicitor general of India Satya Pal Jain during the resumed hearing of an application moved by Lawyers for Human Rights International, seeking stay on repatriation of Gurnam Singh, deputy director of ED at Chandigarh, alleging that the move would hamper the investigations in the case as it was in the final stage.

Arguing before the HC bench, comprising chief justice SJ Vazifdar and justice AB Chaudhari, applicant lawyer Navkiran Singh said that in the past also, whenever powerful politicians were summoned by local ED officials, they were transferred. Later the transfer orders were stayed by the high court, he pointed out. However, assistant solicitor general Chetan Mittal countered the applicant’s allegations saying that Gurnam was not associated with day-to-day investigations into the Bhola drug racket case. “The contention that he was part of them (probe team) is wrong,” he said. The HC bench said,“It would be inappropriate for us to pass any order (in favour of ED or Gurnam Singh).Let regular bench take up the case,” the chief justice observed. HTC