Chandigarh [India], August 9 : Punjab Finance Minister and Chairperson of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on the "War Against Drugs," Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema, announced on Saturday that the arrest of Joga Singh, former security officer to MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira, is a major breakthrough in the pursuit of justice for victims of the 2015 Gurdev Singh Debi drug racket.
Cheema alleged that the case, which had been pending for nearly a decade, was delayed due to the accused's alleged political connections with leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Congress.
Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, Cheema detailed the sequence of events leading to the arrest. Named as an accused on September 28, 2023, Joga Singh went into hiding soon after. His bail pleas were rejected by the Fazilka Sessions Court in October 2023 and by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in January 2024.
Despite multiple police raids, he evaded capture until November 2023, when the Special Investigation Team (SIT) issued a Look Out Circular. While allegedly attempting to flee to Australia, he was intercepted by immigration officials at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. He was brought to Punjab on transit remand and produced before a Jalalabad court, which granted a five-day police remand.
Cheema further alleged that Joga Singh played a central role in arranging communications between Khaira and accused Gurdev Singh, as well as Gurdev Singh's UK-based sister, Charanjit Kaur. He claimed that while Gurdev Singh was absconding, Joga Singh used his mobile phone to facilitate these calls.
Call detail record (CDR) analysis also revealed multiple instances where Joga Singh and Gurdev Singh were at the same location, even in Khaira's absence.
Providing an update on Punjab's "War Against Drugs" campaign, launched on March 1, 2025, the minister said that so far 16,062 cases have been registered under the NDPS Act, leading to the arrest of 25,177 individuals.
Authorities have demolished 178 illegal properties linked to drug traffickers and seized 1,044 kg of heroin, 21,309 kg of poppy husk, 365 kg of opium, and around 32 lakh drug tablets and capsules.
Reiterating the state government's commitment to eradicating the drug menace, Cheema said that under the leadership of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab has become the first state in India to equip its police force with drone systems worth Rs 51.41 crore.
He said this technological advancement will play a crucial role in preventing cross-border drug smuggling along Punjab's international boundaries.