BATHINDA, June 2— Jagdish Bhola, a former Deputy Superintendent of Punjab Police and Arjuna Award-winning wrestler, was released from Bathinda Central Jail on Sunday evening after spending nearly 12 years behind bars. Bhola, convicted in one of Punjab’s largest drug trafficking cases, walked free following a bail order from the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued on May 21.
The High Court’s bail conditions include a ₹5 lakh surety bond, surrender of his passport, and completion of a community service project — planting 100 trees within 15 days of release.
Jail Superintendent Manjit Singh Sidhu confirmed Bhola’s release, stating that “all formalities were completed and he was allowed to leave the premises on Sunday evening.”
Bhola was arrested in November 2013 and later identified as the kingpin of a ₹700-crore synthetic drug racket that spanned multiple states. The investigation, jointly conducted by Punjab Police and central agencies, uncovered the illegal trade of pseudoephedrine and other narcotics, and led to the seizure of luxury vehicles, firearms, foreign currency, and large sums of cash linked to the syndicate.
In 2019, a special CBI court sentenced Bhola to 24 years in prison. Another conviction in 2024 for money laundering added 10 more years to his sentence. His appeals in both cases are currently pending.
“Jagdish Bhola’s arrest and conviction exposed the depth of the drug menace and its ties with powerful networks,” said a senior law enforcement official familiar with the case.
Once hailed as the “King Kong” of Indian wrestling, Bhola brought home a silver medal at the 1991 Asian Wrestling Championship and was awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award for his contributions to Indian sport. His sporting excellence led to his appointment as a DSP in Punjab Police — a career that ended in disgrace with his involvement in narcotics smuggling.
While Bhola may now be out on bail, legal observers say the road ahead remains legally complex. “His release does not equate to acquittal,” said a retired judge. “His appeals are pending, and he remains under judicial scrutiny.”
Bhola’s release has reignited debates in Punjab over the nexus between drugs, politics, and law enforcement — a narrative his case has come to symbolise over the past decade.
