Sarbjeet Sander, 57, who was linked to Jagdish Bhola drug racket and had fled to Canada, was murdered in Langley in British Columbia
Agencies
CHANDIGARH: Indian agencies have finally confirmed that Sarbjeet Sander, who was murdered in Langley in British Columbia on February 10, is the same person who was wanted in India in the Rs 6,000-crore drug smuggling case.
Sander, 57, was among 11 drug smugglers who are linked to Punjab’s Jagdish Bhola drug racket and hiding in Canada.
The drug racket was busted in Punjab in 2013 and many politicians, police officers and industrialists were linked to it.
Since former Indian wrestler and dismissed Punjab Police DSP Jagdish Bhola was the linchpin of this drug racket, it became known as the Jagdish Bhola drug racket.
Investigations by the Special Task Force of the Punjab Police and the Enforcement Directorate had found 11 persons linked to it.
Sander arranged couriers for shipping drugs and routing proceeds from drug smuggling.
India had sought extradition of the drug smugglers in 2016 and again in 2018.
In February 2018 when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited India, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had asked him to speed up extradition of the smugglers hiding in Canada.
But what is intriguing is that Sander’s murder hasn’t been linked to any drug gang in British Columbia. It has been described as an isolated murder.
After Sander’s murder, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team of the Langley RCMP had issued a release, saying, “Based on information gathered thus far, there appears to be no link to the ongoing Lower Mainland gang conflict. This incident is believed to be isolated and not random.”
After the Jagdish Bhola drug racket was busted, Punjab Police filed an FIR at Fatehgarh Sahib in 2013 and sought these people who later fled to Canada. India sent documents to the Canadian authorities in 2016, seeking their extradition. Reminders were sent to Canadian authorities in 2018 and April 2021, seeking the extradition of these people. The Department of Justice has not taken any decision on India’s request.
In the case of Knawar Baljit Singh, who is wanted by the Narcotics Control Bureau of India, extradition proceedings began in 2017 and then 2018. But the Canadian authorities sought more documents from India. The matter is still pending.
Here are the names of those wanted in India:
1: Amarjit Singh Kooner
2: Gursewak Singh Dhillon
3: Nirankar Singh Dhillon
4: Sarabjit Sander
5: Lehmbar Singh Daleh
6: Amrinder Singh Chheena
7: Pardeep Singh Dhaliwal
8: Ranjit Singh Aujla
9: Ranjit Kaur Kahlon
10: Parminder Singh Deo
11: Kanwar Baljit Singh
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