Gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria acquitted in drug seizure case

AMRITSAR : The court of additional sessions judge, Amritsar, on Wednesday acquitted two persons, including gangster Jagdeep Singh, alias Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, in connection with the seizure of 7-kg heroin that was smuggled allegedly from Pakistan in April 2018, citing “lack of evidence”.

Bhagwanpuria, who is currently lodged in a Patiala jail and is facing more than a dozen criminal cases, was booked by the police’s special operation cell for his alleged role in getting the seized contraband smuggled through dismissed cop Ranjit Singh of Mode and Gursewak

Singh of Jasraur village in Amritsar district.

The second person discharged in the case is Taranjot Singh. The court, however, has framed charges against Ranjit and Gursewak.

As per the FIR, the police got a tip-off that Bhagwanpuria, who was lodged in a Hoshiarpur jail at that time, was getting heroin smuggled through notorious Pakistan-based smuggler Malik. “Jaggu established contact with his aides Ranjit and Gursewak to get the contraband smuggled. The 2 received contraband near Indo-Pak border,” reads the FIR.

A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act was registered.

Bhagwanpuria’s counsel Amandeep Singh said, “The police claimed that Jaggu made Ranjit acquainted with some Pakistani smugglers for smuggling of heroin when the two were in a jail in 2015-16. But they failed to produce even a single evidence to establish Jaggu’s contact with Ranjit in any jail. In 2015-16, Ranjit was in an Amritsar jail while Jaggu was in a Hoshiarpur jail.”

Ranjit was dismissed from service for his alleged links with Pakistani smugglers. His alleged involvement came to light in 2012 when the directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI), in a joint operation with the customs department, confiscated 23-kg heroin smuggled from across the border.