Punjab Vigilance Bureau Arrests Akali Leader Bikram Majithia In Fresh Disproportionate Assets Case

Chandigarh: The Punjab vigilance bureau on Wednesday arrested senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former minister Bikram Majithia in a fresh case of disproportionate assets subsequent to a raid on his residence in Amritsar.

At Amritsar, tempers ran high as several SAD leaders and party workers tried to enter Majithia’s house protesting against the raid, but were pushed back by the police after a minor scuffle with the police personnel. Majithia’s wife Ganieve Kaur, who is the party MLA from Majitha seat in Amritsar, held that a team of 30 members of VB had entered their house. Majithia is brother-in-law of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Badal.

Minutes after the raid, Majithia also posted a video on X alleging that the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government was trying to push for a false case against him after failing to find anything against him in the drug case.

However, according to VB, the new case stems from the ongoing investigation into the 2021 drug-trafficking case registered against Majithia in which major discrepancies have been found prompting action against prevention of corruption Act. According to reports, raids were carried out at about 25 properties across Punjab in this connection.

The Akali leader was earlier out on bail in the drug-trafficking case in which the investigators alleged that Majithia provided logistical and financial support to key figures in a major drug racket including Jagdish Bhola, Jagjit Singh Chahal and Maninder Aulakh. He was arrested in February 2022 and had remained in jail till he was granted bail in August that year.

In March, this year, he was also questioned by a special investigation team (SIT) regarding alleged "hawala'' transactions and other financial dealings linked to drug syndicates.

AAP MLA OPPOSES ARREST

Meanwhile, the AAP MLA from Amritsar North, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, opposed his own party government for the early morning VB raid and subsequent Majithia’s arrest. Singh, who is a former IPS officer, asked why the Mann government did not conduct any interrogation or seek his remand when he was in police custody in the past.

The AAP MLA held that the dignity of a family is shared by all, whether one is a politician, actor, rich or poor and conducting a raid at someone's house early morning is against ethical principles.