Former Enforcement Directorate (ED) deputy director Niranjan Singh joined Akali Dal Waris Punjab De on Wednesday, ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections, and along with him former Punjab Police DSP Balwinder Singh Sekhon also joined the party during the event held at the Chandigarh Press Club.
Niranjan Singh is a retired ED officer who served in Punjab and was involved in several high-profile investigations related to the state’s drug trade and money laundering.
Niranjan Singh retired from the ED in May 2021 and during his service, he investigated the multi-crore drug racket linked to former Punjab Police officer Jagdish Bhola.
The case was investigated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
As part of the investigation, Singh questioned senior Punjab politicians, including former ministers Bikram Singh Majithia and Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Singh was later transferred from the ED’s Jalandhar office to Kolkata.
His transfer was challenged, and the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed the transfer at the time.
After retiring from government service, Singh continued to speak publicly about Punjab’s drug problem and alleged political and official patronage of the drug trade.
At the joining event, Singh raised concerns over what he described as the worsening situation in Punjab, particularly regarding drugs, corruption and law and order and he alleged that a nexus exists between drug traffickers, political leaders and police officials and said there was a need to raise a voice against it.
Singh said his decision to join Akali Dal Waris Punjab De was connected to his long-standing work against drug abuse in Punjab.
When asked whether he would contest the upcoming Assembly elections, Singh said he had not yet thought about contesting.
Party leaders said his joining would strengthen their campaign against drugs.
MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali welcomed Singh into the party and said his previous work against the drug menace would strengthen the organisation. Tarseem Singh, father of jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, also attended the event and he also accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party of failing to fulfil its promises on corruption and substance abuse.
Ayali also spoke about Amritpal Singh, who is currently lodged in a jail in Assam in connection with the 2023 Ajnala police station attack case, Ayali alleged that Amritpal had been targeted for his campaign against drugs and referred to his continued imprisonment despite the revocation of his National Security Act detention.
With Niranjan Singh now joining the party, the former ED officer’s background in investigating major drug and money-laundering cases has become a key part of the party’s political pitch ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections.