Ex-police AIG arrested in Patiala after years on run over alleged drug nexus
Senior-level corruption fuels concerns over official protection to drug networks
Chandigarh : The arrest of a dismissed senior Indian police officer after years on the run has brought renewed attention to allegations of a deep-rooted nexus between the police and drug traffickers, raising concerns over the role of corruption and official patronage in the spread of the drug menace in the state, where Sikh population wants an independent land in the name of Khalistan.
According to Kashmir Media Service, former Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Raj Jit Singh Hundal was arrested in Patiala after remaining absconding for years in cases linked to alleged drug trafficking, extortion and corruption.
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav confirmed the arrest. The police said Singh was apprehended following an investigation involving technical and financial surveillance.
Singh’s name had emerged during investigations into dismissed police inspector Inderjit Singh, who was accused of operating a drug-smuggling and extortion network. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court had examined allegations concerning Raj Jit Singh’s alleged complicity with Inderjit Singh and other officials.
The former AIG was subsequently booked in cases involving allegations of extortion, manipulation of drug cases, protection of alleged drug smugglers and possession of assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. The allegations remain subject to judicial proceedings.
The case has intensified public concerns about whether corruption within Indian law-enforcement institutions has allowed drug networks to operate with official protection. Allegations that police personnel were involved in protecting traffickers or misusing drug cases have also fuelled suspicions that the drug crisis cannot be viewed solely as a problem of street-level trafficking and addiction.
The High Court-directed investigations had specifically examined the alleged police-drug nexus and raised questions about the conduct of senior officials. Separate investigations also looked into Singh’s financial assets and alleged accumulation of wealth beyond his known sources of income. Singh’s arrest comes as Punjab continues to grapple with widespread concerns over drug abuse and trafficking.
The case has once again put the spotlight on allegations of corruption within the Indian security apparatus.
