THE NEWS DESK
MOHALI, July 2, UPDATED: 3.05 PM
A Mohali court on Wednesday extended the remand of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia by four more days in connection with a disproportionate assets case. Majithia was produced in court after the conclusion of his initial seven-day custody with the Vigilance Bureau (VB). Following the hearing, the court directed that he be presented again on Sunday.
Majithia was brought to the court under heavy security arrangements, escorted in a convoy of vehicles, around 10:40 a.m. Simultaneously, a large police deployment was made outside both the Vigilance Bureau office and the district court complex in Mohali to prevent any untoward incidents, especially in light of the rising political tensions surrounding the case.
Vigilance Bureau Alleges Rs 540 Crore Laundering, Benami Land in Himachal
According to the special public prosecutor, the investigation has unearthed an alleged benami property measuring approximately 400 acres, located in Mashobra, a hill town in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla district. The prosecution maintained that this was just one of several undisclosed assets linked to Majithia, which could not be accounted for through his declared income.
In addition to charges of accumulating wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income, Majithia faces serious allegations of laundering over Rs 540 crore of drug money. The Vigilance Bureau claims that this laundering was carried out through multiple channels and fronts, with Majithia allegedly playing a central role in facilitating the operations.
Political Face-Off Intensifies Between SAD and AAP
Majithia’s arrest has triggered a sharp political confrontation in Punjab. While the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has hailed the action as part of its campaign to crack down on high-profile individuals involved in the state’s drug trade, the SAD has condemned it as a politically motivated vendetta. SAD supporters have described the move as an attempt to settle scores ahead of upcoming political challenges.
Throughout the day, SAD workers started gathering at the historic Amb Sahib gurdwara in Mohali, planning a protest against what they termed as the AAP government’s “vindictive politics.” Supporters from various parts of the state began arriving in Mohali early in the morning. To maintain public order, police reportedly detained several workers en route to the protest site.
Background of the Case and Earlier Arrest
Majithia was arrested by the Vigilance Bureau on June 25 under the Prevention of Corruption Act and relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code for his alleged involvement in laundering illicit funds linked to the narcotics trade. A day after his arrest, he was remanded to seven days of custody by the Mohali court.
The current FIR against Majithia is based on a probe initiated by a Punjab Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) that was reconstituted to re-examine findings from a 2018 report of the anti-drug Special Task Force. That report had flagged several high-profile names allegedly involved in Punjab’s drug trafficking network. In 2021, Majithia was booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act based on this report.
This is not the first time the senior Akali leader has faced arrest. He previously spent over five months in Patiala Central Jail in the same case before being granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in August 2022.
The unfolding case continues to command political and public attention in Punjab, as it intertwines legal scrutiny with intensifying political rivalries in the state.
