Hearings in the 2013 Nathuwala drugs haul case – in which drugs, cash and alcohol were recovered during a raid on a police post – were adjourned to July 31.

Hearings in the 2013 Nathuwala drugs haul case – in which drugs, cash and alcohol were recovered during a raid on a police post – were adjourned to July 31.

The two accused policemen in the case, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Jarnail Singh and Munshi Jasvir Singh, were present during the hearing. A third accused, constable Davinder Singh, died a few years ago.

Advocate Rupinder Brar, the defence counsel for Jarnail Singh, said arguments will start after the statements of the defense witnesses are recorded.

In 2013, illicit alcohol, drugs and cash were recovered during a raid on a police check post in Moga. The case is back in the limelight after a report by the Punjab Bureau of Investigation (PIB) indicted police officer Kamaljit Singh Dhillon, who had initially registered an FIR against the accused, of taking a Rs 40 lakh from the accused.

The accused have alleged they were bribed for the case to be withdrawn.

What is this case?

On September 6, 2013, the three accused were found with drugs, liquor and cash at the Nathuwala police check post in Moga. At least 1.68 quintals of poppy husk, 66 bottles of liquor and Rs 46,000 in cash were recovered during the raid at the police post. Senior Superintendent of Police Dhillon had claimed that the drugs and liquor were hidden by the cops to be sold.

The police officials at the post were dismissed and sent to jail.

However, after the Moga police failed to produce a challan against the accused within the stipulated time frame (180 days), a sessions court granted them bail. Judge Harpal Singh had observed that the “prosecution failed to produce chargesheet against the accused in stipulated period in the court”.

SSP Dhillon and SHO of Baghapurana, Amarjit Singh, were issued transfer orders.

In December 2014, the two dismissed cops, Jarnail Singh and Jasvir Singh, were reinstated on the orders of then DIG of Ferozepur range, Mohnish Chawla.

On February 12, 2015, when JS Khaira took over as SSP of Moga, the police filed a re-enquiry report in the case and said the case was ‘false’. The report said that the cops had been ‘framed’ and recommended the case be withdrawn. The report said that “as per mobile phones tower locations, three cops were not present in the chowki from 11 pm to 4 am” as previously claimed. The court, however, refused to accept the report.

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