Gujarat ATS’ Bhopal drug bust: Congress alleges Deputy CM Devda’s links with accused
The Hindu
Gujarat ATS and NCB seize 907 kg of MD in Bhopal; Congress demands Deputy CM's resignation amid controversy.
A day after the Gujarat Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) raided a factory on the outskirts of Bhopal and seized over 900 kgs of mephedrone (MD) drug, the Madhya Pradesh Government and Police are under heavy criticism from the Congress which has alleged that one of the arrested accused is an associate of Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda and sought his resignation.
After the operation, the Bhopal Police also booked two men who, it said, sold and leased the plot where the illegal factory was operating and that they did not inform the concerned authorities about the selling or renting out the location.
In its largest illegal factory bust, the Gujarat ATS along with the NCB on Saturday raided a unit in Bhopal district’s Bagroda industrial area and seized 907 kilogram MD worth ₹1,814 crore. As per the ATS, the factory had capacity to make 25 kg MD per day.
Three men, identified as Amit Chaturvedi, 57, a resident of Bhopal; Sanyal Bane, 40, a resident of Maharashtra’s Nashik; and Harish Aanjana, 32, a resident of M.P.’s Mandsaur, were arrested for allegedly running the drug manufacturing and supply racket.
The two men booked by the M.P. Police, under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, were identified as Jaideep Singh and S.K. Singh.
Katara Hills police station incharge Vijendra Nigam told The Hindu that the plot at which the factory was established was allotted to Mr. Jaideep Singh in 2017-18 by the Industry Department, which were completed in 2022.
Mr. Nigam said that Mr. Jaideep Singh had sold the plot to Mr. S.K. Singh, a retired BHEL employee, who leased it to Mr. Chaturvedi about six months ago who had been running the illegal activities the ever since.