Dismissed AIG Rajjit Singh, who had been absconding since 2019 after being booked in cases linked to a suspected drug-smuggling and extortion racket, has surrendered to the Patiala police, ending nearly six years on the run.DGP Gaurav Yadav confirmed to The Tribune that Singh had been formally arrested.The arrest comes ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, with the AAP government highlighting its action against drug abuse in the state. Opposition parties have repeatedly questioned the delay in arresting Singh, alleging that the government had failed to act against senior-level figures allegedly linked to the drug trade.Singh was dismissed from service in April 2019 after investigations ordered by the Punjab and Haryana High Court found his alleged complicity with dismissed Inspector Inderjit Singh, who was accused of involvement in a drug-smuggling and extortion network. The High Court record says the investigation had raised questions about Rajjit Singh’s role in relation to Inderjit Singh and other senior police officials.Singh was subsequently booked in two cases in 2019 — one by the Vigilance Bureau over allegations of possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income and another by the Special Task Force in connection with allegations of extortion, falsely implicating people in drug cases and protecting alleged drug smugglers.He went underground after the Punjab and Haryana High Court rejected his bail plea. A lookout circular was also issued against him as agencies continued efforts to trace him.His name had figured prominently in the wider investigation into the alleged police-drug nexus involving Inderjit Singh. The High Court had earlier directed probes into the alleged complicity of senior police officials, while investigations also examined the financial assets linked to Rajjit Singh.Further details about the circumstances leading to Singh’s surrender and the action taken by the police are awaited.This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.