The seizure of narcotics hidden in the bonnet of a car beloning to Punjab Police personnel has snowballed into a controversy with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) seeking a “judicial inquiry” into the matter.

The Punjab Police, meanwhile, maintained that the two cops were on duty and the drug was seized by them on the basis of information provided by an arrested smuggler.

Two cops, Sub-Inspector Nishan Singh and Head Constable Harvinder Ram from the Goraya police station in Jalandhar, were detained by the Border Security Force (BSF) in Ferozepur reportedly on the basis of a tip-off provided by residents of Tendiwala village which is close to the international border.

This was after BSF officials stopped the car in which they were travelling. The two cops reportedly denied that they had drugs in their possession but following search of their vehicle, 1.710 kg heroin was found concealed in the front portion (bonnet) of the car. The two officials were handed over by the BSF to the local police for further inevestigation even as video of the incident went viral.

Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Counter Intelligence (CI) Lakhbir Singh, however clarified it was a case of mistaken identity as these cops were on duty and had seized heroin from Tendiwala village.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Jalandhar, Mukhwinder Singh said they were aware of the entire operation executed by the two cops to recover the narcotics. The duo had hid the heroin in the bonnet of the car so that it could not be snatched by villagers.

The SAD, however, urged Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice to take suo moto notice and order a judicial probe into the matter. The party also asked Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav to disclose who was patronising this drug trade by police officials.

Addressing a press conference, SAD leader Virsa Singh Valtoha said on one hand officials of Ferozepur police have confirmed arrest of two Jalandhar police officials with heroin, on the other the SSP Jalandhar is claiming that a drug smuggler Malkeet Singh Kali who was arrested on 9 September had disclosed about this heroin and police officials just recovered it from the spot where Kali had hidden it.

He said the statement of the SSP that the police officials hid it in the bonnet only because they were afraid that someone could snatch it from them was amusing. He wondered if the police officials are scared who Punjabis can trust for their security.

Valhota alleged that the police were trying to hush up the matter. “Earlier Bhagwant Mann used to say that governments patronise drug mafia now he should tell whom in his government were patronising this drug trade,” he added.