Majithia denies taking money from drug racket accused

Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia today said the reports of him taking money from the drug racket case accused were "wild and unsubstantiated" and blamed "vested interests" for "selective leaks" solely aimed at "maligning my image".
In a statement issued here, the minister said a number of allegations are being levelled against him for the past few days and that these were aimed at creating a "hysteria" ahead of the Punjab assembly session.
"All these allegations, which are an afterthought, are aimed solely at maligning my image. I pity these attempts to create a cloud on my image and put me to a media trial on frivolous and contrived allegations without accountability of any person to answer such canard against me," he said.

A section of media had reported that in a statement given to the Enforcement Directorate, probing money laundering angle in the drug racket case, Jagjit Singh Chahal, an accused in multi-crore drug racket case, had claimed that Majithia had allegedly received Rs 35 lakh as "election fund" from him.
It was also reported that Majithia allegedly took money from Canada-based three NRIs whose role was also being probed by the Enforcement Directorate.
The minister said he was also pained that the newspapers did not conduct a thorough check on the allegations.

"I last visited Canada eleven years back. Where is the question of collecting money during frequent trips to Canada arise. Which trips are being referred to. I would like to know," he said.

Welcoming the investigation being undertaken by the ED, the minister said, "The entire case started with investigation into a Rs 6,000 crore drug racket of which I was alleged to be the kingpin."
"After one-and-a-half years of thorough investigation and repeated questioning of the accused, it has now boiled down to me supposedly receiving Rs 35 lakh as an election fund from one of the accused," Majithia said.
He said, "even this revelation of this accused has come forth now in his fourth statement. No investigating agency or court takes cognizance of such self serving statement.