MP minister Pratima Bagri distances herself from ganja smuggler brother:Says, ‘Anyone can claim being relative’; brother brother-in-law are in jail

Madhya Pradesh Minister for Urban Development and Housing, Pratima Bagri, has distanced herself from her brother after he was arrested in a cannabis smuggling case.
Speaking to the media after the cabinet meeting in Khajuraho on Tuesday, she said, “Anyone can claim to be a relative. I request you to verify facts first and speak only after confirmation.” Anil Bagri was arrested on Monday by Satna Police for his alleged involvement in ganja trafficking. Minister snaps at media A day earlier, on Monday, the minister had showed irritation when questioned about her brother’s arrest.
As she stepped out of the Maharaja Chhatrasal Convention Centre in Khajuraho, a journalist asked for her reaction. Visibly annoyed, she retorted, “Zabardasti ki baat kyun karte ho tum log?” (Why do you people ask such things forcefully?).
Her father, Jai Pratap Bagri, when contacted, said he had recently undergone an eye operation and was unable to speak. 46 kg ganja seized; accused sent to judicial custody Additional SP Prem Lal Dhurve said Ramapur Baghelan police conducted a late-night raid on December 7–8 at the house of accused Pankaj Singh in Maroha village.
During the search, police recovered 48 packets of ganja weighing 46 kg, concealed under paddy sacks. The seized consignment is valued at Rs 9.22 lakh. During interrogation, Pankaj claimed the contraband belonged to Anil Bagri and his brother-in-law Shailendra Singh. Police arrested Anil on Monday, and both he and Pankaj were produced before the NDPS Special Court, which remanded them to judicial custody till December 19. Notably, on December 3, Uttar Pradesh’s Banda police had arrested Minister Bagri’s brother-in-law, Shailendra Singh, in a similar ganja smuggling case. Two arrested, one absconding Satna police said that the arrested duo — Anil Bagri (resident of Bharhut Nagar, Hardua) and Pankaj Singh (resident of Matha) — were caught red-handed transporting cannabis.
The third accused, Shailendra Singh, Anil’s brother-in-law, is absconding in this case, though he is already lodged in Banda jail in another ganja trafficking case. Family details and trafficking network Former district panchayat member Jai Pratap Bagri has five children: Investigations suggest that Anil and his brother-in-law, Shailendra, were jointly involved in the smuggling network. A new case has been registered at Rampur Baghelan police station under BNS Sections 8, 20, 29 and relevant NDPS Act provisions. Shailendra Singh’s past record Shailendra Singh has a criminal history involving narcotics trafficking. Earlier, Singhpur police had arrested him in a case involving narcotic cough syrup, linked to transactions worth around Rs 5.5 crore. He has also been caught multiple times for ganja and liquor smuggling.