Akali leader held with Rs 22-cr heroin

In a major embarrassment to the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (B), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) on Sunday arrested a Youth Akali Dal leader with 22 kg of heroin worth Rs 22 crore in the international black market. The heroin, said the DRI officials, was to be smuggled to Canada from Rajasansi International Airport and was concealed in carbon paper wraps to avoid x-ray detection at the airport.

Dheeraj Rastogi, DRI Joint Director, said they had laid a trap and intercepted a vehicle at Mirankot Chowk on late Saturday night and Jalandhar-based Purshotam Sondhi, 39, general

secretary of Youth Akali Dal’s Jalandhar wing and president of Balmiki Sabha of Jalandhar, was arrested. His associate, Bittu Atwal, a resident of Sunnypura, has also been arrested from Jalandhar, said Rastogi, adding that in the preliminary interrogation, Sondhi revealed that he was to receive a phone call after arriving at the parking area of the airport, where he had to deliver the contraband. “We are investigating the international network of smugglers,” said officials.

On the other hand, OSD to CM Daljit Singh Cheema denied that he knew Purshotam Sondhi. “I do not think he is associated with the party,” said Cheema.