Drug smuggler wanted in Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana escapes from Dahisar to US

The Dahisar police are under the scanner for clearing the passport of an interstate drug smuggler wanted in Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana, thereby helping him to flee to the US. The cops have arrested the man who helped him prepare fake documents.

According to sources, Rajinder Gurbachan Singh, also known as Jinder, was sentenced to ten years of imprisonment in 2020 and was lodged in Patiala jail in Punjab. However, after being released on parole in 2022, he absconded with his family and settled in a rented house in Dahisar, Mumbai.

It is alleged that, with the assistance of his landlord, Satish Dhakne, Jinder procured fake documents, including an Aadhaar and PAN card. Using these, he reportedly obtained a passport, which ultimately enabled him to flee the country.

Matter comes to light

Last month, the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) of the Haryana police, led by ASI Rajesh Kumar and his team, discovered during a routine patrol that a pickup vehicle was being used for drug transportation. The police arrested two accused, one of whom was later identified as Jagseer Singh alias Jagga from Chhajli village in the Sangrur district. Upon searching the vehicle, the team seized 4 kg of heroin. Further investigation and interrogation of the accused led to the revelation of Jinder’s name.

A case was registered against the accused under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the Tohana City police station. “During the search for the accused, we come to know that Jinder had escaped to the US via Dubai with his family. The CIA team managed to obtain his file number and discovered that his passport was issued in 2023 from Dahisar,” a source from the CIA unit said.

During the interrogation of the arrested accused, it was revealed that they worked as couriers, delivering drugs on behalf of Jinder to locations specified by him. The operation was meticulously planned so that the courier and the recipient never knew each other. The courier would only provide details, such as the vehicle number and a description of their appearance, to the recipient to facilitate the handover.

The investigation

A police team led by ASI Rajesh Kumar arrived in Dahisar and, upon verification, found that Jinder, along with his wife Baljeet and their two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, had stayed at a rented house at Sahdev Pandey chawl, in Laxminagar, Dharkhadi,” said a source.

“The rent agreement was made between Jinder and Dhakne for 24 months, from November 9, 2021, to November 8, 2023. Jinder and his wife’s Aadhaar cards were originally issued in Haryana in 2012, but their address was changed on January 20, 202,3 to the Dahisar residence to facilitate the passport application,” he added.

Other documents used for making the passport included the rent agreement, the owner’s NOC, birth certificates, Aadhaar and PAN cards and a passbook from a multinational bank in Dahisar. “Apart from Jinder and his daughter’s birth certificates, the investigation revealed that Jinder’s wife’s birth certificate originally belonged to someone else and had been tampered with to reflect the name Baljeet Kaur,” the source stated.

Jinder had the rent agreement prepared for the passport with a backdated entry of November 9, 2021, in connivance with the landlord. However, Haryana police records revealed that at that time, he was in Patiala jail and was only released on parole in 2022.” said a source.

“As soon as the matter came to the notice of the Dahisar police, they launched an investigation and found that Jinder had forged documents with the help of the landlord, who had knowingly assisted him. Therefore, on March 26, the police, acting as the complainant, registered a case against Dhakne, Jinder and his wife under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code, along with Section 12 of the Passport Act. “Dhakne, was arrested on March 26, while the search for Jinder and his wife is ongoing,” said an officer from Dahisar police station.

‘Several cases’

CIA officer ASI Rajesh Kumar said, “Jinder has been involved in more than seven cases of drug smuggling, for which he has been jailed multiple times. We have issued a red-corner notice so that the accused can be arrested soon.” Dahisar police sources said an investigation has been initiated on the instructions of senior officials regarding the issuance of the passport and the verification process conducted by the police. Senior Police Inspector Ashok Honmane said the investigation is still in its initial stages, so not much could be disclosed at present.