Ex-bureaucrat seeks CBI probe into police role in ‘drug-prostitution’ racket
In a significant development raising questions over the integrity of Punjab’s law enforcement agencies, a former senior bureaucrat Sucha Ram Ladhar, president, BJP SC Morcha Punjab, has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into an alleged nexus involving senior IPS officers, into drug trafficking and prostitution nexus.
The request follows the circulation of a viral audio clip, recently aired on a YouTube news platform ‘The Harpreet Show’, in which a man, allegedly that a senior police officer posted at a sensitive field assignment, was purportedly heard negotiating prices for women with a person suspected to be involved in prostitution.
The audio, if verified, could point to serious misconduct at the highest levels of the Punjab Police.
In his letter addressed to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the former officer termed the matter “highly sensitive and alarming” and called for an impartial investigation by a central agency, citing the state government’s perceived inaction in similar cases in the past.
“This issue does not stand in isolation,” the letter states, while pointing to previous controversies involving IPS officer Raj Jit Singh and Inspector Inderjit Singh, both of whom were absconding in a drug trafficking case. It also has references of the recent arrest and dismissal of a woman constable Amandeep Kaur, posted in Bathinda, who was allegedly caught with heroin and believed to be part of the same illegal network.
Ladhar also highlighted that during his tenure as Divisional Commissioner, Jalandhar, he had formally recommended an inquiry into links between police officials and certain NRIs suspected to be involved in narcotics smuggling. However, he claimed, no action was taken by the government at the time and the network appeared to have strengthened in the absence of oversight.
In the letter, he requested the Home Minister to direct a CBI probe into three specific aspects — the authentication and investigation of the viral audio clip; scrutiny of the IPS officer and the woman constable’s conduct; and a broader inquiry into the alleged nexus between police personnel and illegal drug and prostitution rackets, particularly those involving overseas operatives.
Ladhar wrote: “Punjab is already grappling with a severe drug menace that has devastated families and destroyed generations. If elements within the police force are themselves complicit, the implications for governance and national security are grave.”
Ladhar further underscored that the service and disciplinary oversight of IPS officers falls directly under the purview of the Union Government, while adding that “no strict action is expected from the AAP government in Punjab,” which he described as lacking the will to tackle such entrenched criminal networks.
The former officer expressed willingness to provide further documentation, including a copy of his earlier communication sent during his administrative tenure in Punjab.
The allegations have been levelled at a time when the state continues to battle the fallout of widespread drug addiction, with increasing calls for systemic reform and accountability within law enforcement agencies. The demand for a CBI investigation is likely to intensify pressure on both the state and Central governments to address the issue with urgency and transparency.
Jalandhar