Bholath MLA and senior Punjab Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira has strongly condemned what he termed as “malicious and baseless propaganda” being spread by certain Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders over the arrest of his former Personal Security Officer (PSO), Joga Singh, in an alleged NDPS case. Khaira stated that the misinformation campaign was a deliberate attempt to damage his reputation and mislead the public, asserting that recent judicial interventions by the Supreme Court vindicate his stance.
Citing a Supreme Court order dated April 10, 2024, Khaira noted that all proceedings in the NDPS case against him have been stayed pending the next hearing. The bench of Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal directed the State of Punjab not to proceed with the trial, effectively nullifying any claims of ongoing culpability.
Khaira rejected allegations that Joga Singh had been absconding for the past decade, calling the claim factually incorrect and politically motivated. He noted that the FIR in question was registered only on September 28, 2024, which contradicts the narrative of long-standing evasion. Reports linking the arrest to a 2015 case were, he said, “a deliberate misrepresentation” of facts, with the current case already under Supreme Court stay.
Detailing the judicial history, Khaira recalled that the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted him bail on January 4, 2024, after Justice Anoop Chitkara recorded a prima facie satisfaction of his innocence. The Supreme Court later upheld this decision on January 18, 2024, rejecting an appeal by the Punjab government and AAP. Khaira maintained that his September 2023 arrest was politically motivated and that subsequent charges under Sections 195A and 506 of the IPC were part of a pattern of harassment.
He alleged that the arrest of Joga Singh at Delhi Airport on August 9, 2025, and the accompanying political narrative were timed to deflect public attention from governance failures in Punjab. “This is a continuation of AAP’s political vendetta against opposition leaders,” he said.
Khaira appealed to the public and media to rely on verified facts and judicial records rather than “sensationalised propaganda.” He reaffirmed his commitment to fighting drug trafficking and corruption, expressing confidence that the truth would prevail in the ongoing judicial process.