Jagdish Bhola Arjuna Awardee Convict in 700 Crore Drug Racket, Walks Free After 12 Years in Jail

Jagdish Bhola, once hailed as a wrestling champion and Arjuna Award winner, has walked out of Bathinda Central Jail after nearly 12 years of incarceration. Bhola, who served as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Punjab, was granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on May 21, marking a dramatic turn in one of the state’s most infamous drug trafficking cases.

Bhola had been serving a 24-year prison sentence handed down in 2019 by a special CBI court, following his conviction in a synthetic drug racket worth ₹700 crore. Arrested in November 2013, Bhola was labelled the kingpin of a massive multi-state narcotics network dealing in synthetic substances like pseudoephedrine. In 2024, his legal woes deepened with an additional 10-year sentence for money laundering. Yet, despite the gravity of his convictions, the High Court approved his bail, albeit with stringent conditions.

Under the court’s orders, Jagdish Bhola furnished a ₹5 lakh bail bond and surrendered his passport. He is also required to plant 100 trees within 15 days as part of a community service initiative—an effort perhaps aimed at symbolic redemption. Bathinda Central Jail Superintendent Manjit Singh Sidhu confirmed that Bhola’s release took place on Sunday evening after all legal and administrative formalities were completed.

Once revered as “King Kong” of Indian wrestling, Jagdish Bhola’s rise and fall is both startling and tragic. He etched his name in Indian sports history with a silver medal win at the 1991 Asian Wrestling Championship. His accomplishments led to the prestigious Arjuna Award and an honorary posting as DSP by the Punjab government. But behind the fame was a darker story waiting to unfold.

Investigations by Punjab Police and central agencies uncovered a sprawling drug empire that extended across state lines and involved high-value assets, including cash, foreign currency, luxury vehicles, and firearms. Bhola’s arrest exposed an alleged nexus of crime, politics, and power that shocked the conscience of the nation.

Though he is temporarily free, Bhola’s battles in the courtroom are far from over. His appeals against the convictions in both the drug trafficking and money laundering cases are still pending. Legal experts say the road ahead remains uncertain, and his future hinges on the outcomes of these cases.

The story of Jagdish Bhola is a stark reminder of how fame and fortune can be undermined by personal choices. From a national sports icon to a convicted criminal, his life underscores the complexities of ambition, power, and the law.