Chandigarh: Drug inspector Shishan Mittal, 38, under Special Task Force (STF) scanner for his alleged links with smugglers had deposited Rs 1 crore each into the accounts of his father and mother, who were unaware of it, officials said on Friday.
Mandi in Bathinda district. He used to operate his parents’ accounts. Even the STF officials who raided the house were amazed to see the old couple living an ordinary life,” the probe report, accessed by HT, said.
The probe report further revealed that Mittal’s parents, in their statements, have categorically denied having any knowledge of the huge cash in their accounts and stated that “their son had literally abandoned them and hardly visited them.”
On Thursday, the STF had frozen 24 bank accounts of the accused drug inspector with ₹6.69 crore in them.
The inspector is accused of allegedly facilitating the network of two jailed drug smugglers. In addition, police also seized three bank lockers.
The police teams have also observed serious financial irregularities, whereby frequent cash deposits were made into several benami accounts opened in the names of his parents, in-laws and teenage daughter to conceal the source of origin.
The raids were conducted as part of the ongoing investigations into allegations against Mittal, posted in Fazilka, of facilitating drug smuggling operations and laundering the drug money in the benami accounts in the names of his relatives.
Apart from money deposited into accounts, during raids the STF also recovered ₹9.31 lakh cash, 260 gm of gold and 515 Dirhams.
Furthermore, substantial assets acquired through the proceeds of illegal activities were also identified, including flats valued at ₹2 crore in Zirakpur, a plot in Dabwali worth ₹40 lakh among many others, he added. Probe has further revealed that Mittal had made a palatial house around two years back worth more than ₹2 crore.
“Mittal was in contact with two drug smugglers lodged in jail. He had deposited the amount into his parents’ account in over two years. Most of the entries were of ₹49,000 as it doesn’t need a PAN card,” an STF official said, pleading anonymity. Apart from parents, the probe has revealed that Mittal also had deposited ₹1 crore each into the accounts of his father-in-law and mother-in-law and his teenage daughter.
“All the accounts were linked to Mittal’s phone number,” the STF probe said. The accused had made three foreign visits to UAE and Thailand without informing the department.
A case FIR no 121/2024 has already been registered under section 29 (conspire or abet the commission of offences related to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances) and 59 (a public servant who wilfully supports or abets drug smugglers, or neglects their duties concerning the enforcement of drug laws, can be subjected to severe penalties, including imprisonment) of the NDPS Act and section 111 (organised crime) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in this regard.
